Know Thy Self
by Grown Up Ron
Summary: Set just before the begining of the sixth year at Hogwarts and going through to the end of the seventh. Harry learns he doesn't have to fight alone. Hermione learns not everything of value comes form a book and Ron comes to understand who he is and what h
1. Default Chapter

The Veil of Wisdom

Harry Potter woke with start as he had done for every morning since Sirius had died. He ran his hand through his hair thinking that of all the people in the world that could have died why did it have to be Sirius. Then he pushed that thought to the back of his mind. I've mourned him, I miss him but I bet I see him again. At first he was a bit disoriented but then he remembered he had been staying at the Burrow for most of the summer

He got up and got dressed quickly as he smelled bacon cooking downstairs.

_If Ron were here he would have already beaten me down to breakfast._

Harry laughed and shook his head.

_I'll be glad when he gets back. I miss him. Everybody does._

Much to everyone's surprise Ron had gotten a summer job working with Bill in Egypt. When his mother had asked him why he was interested in a summer job he replied "Mom I've got to figure some things out and I might as well make some gold while I do it.". He left almost as soon as he had recovered from the fight at the Department of Mysteries. At the time Harry had been in no mood to talk to anyone about Sirius dying however he wished now he had let Ron know what he was feeling, if he had he might have been able to come to terms with it faster.

At least they still could talk by owl post. It wasn't as often as he would have liked as Pig couldn't make such a long trip so Ron had to use Bill's owl when it was available. Fortunately since Hermione has also been staying at the Burrow they both got letters at the same time.

Harry glanced over at the bedside table where the picture Ron and sent him rested. It showed Ron and Bill along with the rest of their crew including a very pretty dark haired girl who was giving Ron a very friendly smile at the time. Ron of course had no idea she was looking at him.

_When Ron gets back Hermione is going to make him pay for that look I bet._

With a laugh Harry headed down the stairs and burst into the kitchen to find Ginny and Hermione already waiting for him.

He walked over to Mrs. Weasley and gave her a hug. "

"Good morning Mrs. Weasley. Have you ladies been having a wonderful morning?"

Molly Weasley looked up from the stove and smiled at Harry "It seems like you are in a good mood today Harry."

Sitting down at the table Harry started to fill his plate. "I really am, I will be glad when Ron gets back. Hermione has been in a right state these last few days." he said with a grin.

Hermione looked up from her book her face turning redder by the second. "If you are implying that I have been in a bad mood because of Ronalds absence you are sorely mistaken. In fact it has been nice and quiet here without him tromping around."

At this statement Ginny snorted, then holding back a laugh asked "So you wouldn't mind if he stayed in Egypt to go to school to spend more time with the girl in that picture he sent? Like he mentioned in his last letter to me?"

Hermione's face went pale and she said in a very low voice "He's not coming back?"

Ginny's face fell and she quickly said "I was just kidding Hermione. Please don't be upset. To be honest I just want you two to admit you have feelings for each other."

Hermione seemed to shrink a bit and in a quivering voice said "I do care, more than I think ever you suspected but he doesn't think of me like that."

Ginny choked on her tea and sputtered "Hermione I swear you are as clueless as him. Ron believes the sun rises and sets only to showcase your beauty."

Hermione flushed a pink that Ginny was sure reached her toes.

There was a bang in the living room the usually heralded someone arriving by Floo.

Arthur Weasley rushed into the kitchen flushed and sweating. "Molly, Death Eaters are attacking all over the world. Where is everyone?"

Molly Weasley looked up at the kitchen clock.

Fred- Work

George-Work

Arthur-Home

Percy-Work

Charlie-Traveling

Ginny-Home

Ron-Mortal Peril

Bill-Mortal Peril

Arthur wrapped his arms around his wife whispering "We have to be calm they'll be all right. The ministry shut down the Floo Network right after I left. As soon as it comes back up I'll go check on them. "

Harry glanced over at Ginny who had her hands over her mouth and seemed on the verge of tears. Hermione broke into sobs and kept whispering "Please be ok..please be ok ...please be ok."


	2. Sun, Sand and Death

Sun, Sand and Death

Ron moved around the inside of the ancient pyramid tying up any loose ends they might have left. Wiping the sweat from his face and checking to make sure they hadn't missed cleaning out the treasure room. Though he was in fact in the Giza area of Egypt his mind was over a thousand miles away. Instead of focusing on any missed areas to explore he was thinking about big doe eyes and a smile that made his knees weak

_Come on snap out of it. I'll be home soon enough and I don't need to be acting like a love sick git. Even if I am one._

Ron had enjoyed his time in Egypt. He wasn't sure how Bill had gotten permission for him to use magic over the summer but he owed his big brother one for it. He had made a surprising amount of money and had even been given two items from the find as a reward for noticing a particularly dangerous curse trap. He had picked two items to give to Harry and Hermione. Harry's would be his birthday present. He was giving one to Hermione because he would give her everything he had, which was admittedly not much.

_There's no way she's going to be interested in a too tall, too clumsy, freckle faced nobody in patched robes._

_Well maybe so but she's going to have to tell me that cause I've waited to long to tell her how I really feel already._

As he pondered his return home he noticed a reflection in some of the gold embossing that covered much of the ancient walls. It seemed to be a figure moving up from behind him.

_Bloody Hell that looks like a Death Eater._

Ron dove to the left just as the figure raised a wand and shouted "Avada Kedavra"

A streak of green light slammed into the wall right where Ron had been standing a second before. Ron rolled to a stop on his stomach and shouted "Petrificus Totalus".

The Death Eater brought up his wand "Protego" and Ron's spell bounced off of his shield.

Ron scampered to his feet and ran behind a pillar as the Death Eater screamed "Tarantallegra". The spell hit right above Ron's head and chips of stone flew off cutting his face in several spots.

_This is very bad. This guy knows what he's doing._

Ron leaned out "Stupefy" only to have the Death Eater's shield block his spell again.

"I am tired of your games young Weasley, This ends now"

He pointed his wand at the base of the pillar Ron had taken cover behind and yelled "Reducto"

The base of the pillar shattered and toppled backwards pining Ron to the floor.

Ron struggled to catch his breath. He had a sharp pain in his side and he could taste blood in his mouth. Even worse he could hear the Death Eater approaching.

_Well Ron if you ever want to see the love of your life again you better do something fast_.

Stilling his racing heart an icy calm washed over him.

The Death Eater leaned over the pillar and taunted Ron "Don't worry this is only going to hurt a lot."

As the Death Eater leaned over the pillar Ron propped himself up on one arm and screamed "Avada Kedavra".

From a distance of about three feet it only took a second to hit the Death Eater in the chest. There was no chance for him to dodge the spell and he only seemed mildly surprised as he fell to the floor.

Ron lay there for a second still reeling from the powerful spell he had cast. "Reducto" he said softly and pulled himself out from under the remains of the pillar as it turned to dust.

He looked down at the prone form of the Death Eater.

_I killed him....I'm a killer_

His body was a symphony of pain. He was sure he had multiple broken ribs and was equally certain his left leg was broken.

"I wonder if everyone else is ok." he muttered.

As if on cue he heard screaming coming from towards the entrance.

_That was a woman's voice and the only woman up there is Yasmine. Oh god I have to get up there quick._

The idea of someone as sweet as Yasmine being subjected to the Crucio curse made him sick to his stomach.

_Ok I can Apparate up to the front but where to land?_

Ron pictured the front of the pyramid where all their tents and gear had been set up.

_Of course I'll Apparate to the observation tower, God I hope this works._

He closed his eyes and got a good mental picture of where he wanted to come out at and then with a crack he disappeared.

The sun was bright as Ron appeared on the landing of the observation tower. Down below two Death Eaters had tied up Bill, Yasmine, and the rest of the crew and it seemed that they were going down the line using the Crucio curse to try and find out where he was at.

_Ok first I'll free Bill so he can help in the fight. Then I'll try to disarm the Death Eaters._

Hoping the wind would drown out the sound of his voice he pointed his wand at the ropes holding Bill and shouted "Diffindo.".

Changing targets he pointed his wand at one of the Death eaters, then changing his mind at the last instant instead of disarming him he yelled." Petrificus Totalus".

The second Death Eater raised his wand and made a slashing motion at Ron.

"Prote...uggggg" The spell slammed into Ron's face before he could get his shielding spell up. Pain coursed through his body and he stumbled backwards. The force of the spell knocked him off of the back of the tower.

As he fell the thirty feet to the ground he saw Bill grappling with the remaining Death Eater.

"Give him hell Bill" he whispered. "Hermione I... and then his whole world went black.


	3. Wings of Dispair

Wings of Despair, Wings of Hope

The Weasley clan gathered quickly in the face of the newest threat. Fred, Ron, and Percy had Apparated home as soon as they heard. Charlie had used an emergency portkey to come from Romania. Now they sat around and stared at each other. Even the twins were overcome by the gravity of the situation.

Mrs. Weasley had occupied herself with preparing a meal for the family while Mr. Weasley had been sending and receiving owls almost constantly since he had arrived. In an effort to stay out of the way Harry, Ginny and Hermione had gone outside to take a short walk.

"It really is a beautiful day today." Harry noted as he took a big breath of fresh air.

For a moment Hermione looked like she was going to yell at Harry but Ginny quickly added "Harry's just trying to keep our minds off of whats happening."

Hermione looked down "I know I just can't stop thinking about what might be happening."

Ginny came over and hugged her and after a moment Harry joined them.

"My brother is too stubborn to let any old Death Eater get the best of him. Besides I have a feeling you and he are going to fill this house up with kids of your own." Ginny whispered.

Hermione didn't even blush just looked at Ginny and said very softly "That sounds wonderful."

After a moment Harry had wiped a few stray tears from his eyes. Clearing his throat he said "Lunch should be ready soon and I think this is one day we should all be on time and quiet."

Ginny and Hermione both nodded and followed Harry inside.

They meet Mrs. Weasley at the door.

"Come eat children we all may have a long evening."

Every one got seated quickly and started to eat as well as they could. The food seemed to work wonders and everyone started talking. They were all concerned but hopeful and ready to do what needed to be done.

Harry and Charlie had just started talking about the Gryffindor Quidditch team and their chances of winning the house Cup when Hermione screamed.

"I don't think our chances are quite that bad." laughed Harry then he noticed where she was looking.

The entire table turned to look at the clock.

Arthur-Home

Molly-Home

Charlie-Home

Percy-Home

Fred-Home

George-Home

Bill-Traveling

Ron-DYING

The house erupted in bedlam. Fred, George, Charlie and Harry were yelling about there had to be something they can do. Arthur was holding Molly as she sobbed into his chest. Ginny had wrapped her arms around Hermione who just sat there staring straight forward.

A loud crack split the air and Professor Dumbledore appeared in the Kitchen.

Molly Weasley looked up "Oh Albus look at the clock." she sobbed.

Professor Dumbledore glanced at the clock and his whole body seemed to sag. "Oh Molly" he said sadly.

At that moment the clock changed.

Arthur-Home

Molly-Home

Charlie-Home

Percy-Home

Fred-Home

George-Home

Bill-Hospital

Ron-Mortal Peril

"Molly where is Ron right now?" demanded Dumbledore.

"In Egypt with Bill." She replied.

"Bill got him to the Al-Akbar hospital in Cairo. Here take this."

Dumbledore handed Molly a small mirror. "I'm going to Apparate to the hospital. When I get there I can contact you though this mirror."

Then with a loud crack Dumbledore was gone.

Fred looked around at all the people standing around in shock "Did he really just Apparate to Egypt?"

Mr. Weasley spoke up "I wouldn't put it past him. It's very dangerous to try and go that far but Dumbledore is no ordinary wizard."

Molly Weasley placed the mirror on the table so everyone could see it and then they sat down and waited.

After ten minutes or so Fred looked up at the clock and noticed that Ron's condition had changed to In Danger. Almost immediately Dumbledore's face appeared in the mirror.

"Molly he's going to make it."

The boys along with Mr. Weasley started dancing and shouting around the kitchen. Then they started hugging everyone. Ginny and Hermione had collapsed on each other and were sobbing in relief.

Only Molly Weasley was still tense. "Albus how badly is he hurt?"

Dumbledore's face clouded for a moment,

"He has two broken legs and a broken arm. His collar bone is broken, his jaw is shattered and there is extensive internal damage but it can all be fixed.

"What else Albus?" she asked with her eyes closed.

"Two things Molly, first he is probably going to lose his left eye though they are still trying to save it."

"And the second thing Albus?" her voice trembling.

"Just before they put him in the healing sleep he told me he used the Avada curse to kill one of the Death Eaters." Dumbledore said softly.


	4. Messages

Messages

Ron blinked his eyes and looked around. He was lying by a small lake and it seemed to be much later in the day. Slowly sitting up he took stock of his situation.

_Hmmm I don't seem to be injured. I was sure I had broken several bones and how did I get out here by this bloody lake? I was in the desert._

Just as he was sure he had gone mad he heard of voice.

"Over here Ron."

Ron looked over to his right and saw a familiar looking man sitting about half way up the hill.

"Sirius?" he whispered.

The man laughed and replied "you can never put one over on the Weasleys I've always said."

"But your dead Sirius, Aren't you?"

"Yes Ron I'm dead." He replied gently.

"So that means I'm dea....." Ron stuttered.

"Not quite, to be more precise your dying. Now come on over and have a seat. We need to talk. See Ron I'm here to welcome you to the next life while you make the final transition."

Ron got up and slowly walked over to Sirius. "I wish I knew if everyone in Egypt is ok."

"They are Ron, Bill got the last Death Eater thanks to you."

Ron blushed and then he noticed that he had "Bloody hell I'm still shy in the afterlife." He blurted out.

Sirius laughed.

"Sirius how do you know they are ok?

"The dead can see the world of the living if they want to and I like to keep tabs on you guys."

Sirius looked surprised for a second and then a huge grin spit his face.

"Ron your going to make it. You will be going back in just a few minutes. You feel like carrying a few messages back?"

"Ummm sure Sirius anything you need." Ron stammered still not sure where "back" was yet.

Sirius stood up and shouted "James, Lilly get down here." towards a small grove of trees just a short distance away.

Two people Ron and never met walked towards him but Ron was certain that these were Harry's parents.

They walked up in front of him and the woman threw her arms around him much like Hermione always did at the end of every summer. The man just smiled and waited until she was finished and then clapped him on the shoulder with is hand.

"We just wanted to say thank you for everything you have done for Harry." The man said.

"He's my best mate." Ron replied "besides he does most of the hard stuff, well him and Hermione. I just mostly tag along and try not to get in their way."

Lilly Potter smiled at him "We have seen all the things large and small that you have done for Harry and for the others. You are more than you know Ron Weasley."

"I don't have some creepy prophecy about me too do I?" Ron blurted then regretted as soon as he said it."

All three of them laughed and then Sirius said "No Ron but not everything of value is in a prophecy or a book."

"Don't let Hermione hear that." Ron muttered under his breath.

Again the three of them broke up in laughter.

Lilly Potter leaned forward "You will be returning to your body very soon now. Would you deliver a message for us?"

"Of course Mrs. Potter, anything for Harry."

"Tell him we are so very proud of him. We miss him but will see him when he has lived his life to the fullest. Please give him this for me." Lilly then leaned over and kissed Ron on the cheek.

James Potter looked down "Tell my boy he's an ever better Quidditch player than I was and that's saying some thing. Tell him we love him and one day we'll all get to play Quidditch together."

"Oh and tell Moony we are alright. He should get on with having some fun and that we will be here when he's ready."

Ron started to feel a fain tugging sensation start to pull on him but it wasn't coming from any direction that he could tell.

Sirius stepped in front of him "Ron remember Harry has a power to draw on that Voldemort doesn't. You have to show him what it is. Yes Ron you already know what it is yourself."

"One more thing" and with this he grinned "If you want Hermione to know you love her then show her you love her."

Ron felt his stomach jerk as if he had activated a portkey and was pulled away from them.

Ron's world exploded in pain and he screamed. People were running all over the place yelling orders and the lights on the ceiling were blinding him.

Some one cast a spell and the pain lessened. Ron noticed Professor Dumbledore standing beside him he clutched at his arm and forced out "Professor forgive me, I used the Avada curse on one of the Death Eaters."

"Please give Harry and Hermione their presents....."

Then the healing sleep spell washed over him and he hurt no more.


	5. Gifts of the Heart

Disclaimer: this is the only disclaimer I'm going to do because even some one of dubious mental command knows I am not the original author of the Harry Potter books.

A loud crack shook Arthur and Molly Weasley out of their discussion as they noticed the arrival of Professor Dumbledore.

They both jumped up as soon as they saw him. "Albus how is he?"

"Arthur, Molly gather everyone from outside. They will all want to hear this and it will be good for them to hear it."

Mrs. Weasley went outside and yelled for everyone to come inside in a hurry. In a matter of moments the entire family, several Aurors and both Neville and Luna had crowded themselves in the kitchen.

Professor Dumbledore turned to face them all and with a small sigh started.

"Ron has been badly injured. His bones have been fixed and his organs are regrowing in the healing sleep. He has however lost the eye. The spell damage was too great. Perhaps in time he can try and find a magical replacement for it but for now he is going to have to learn to adjust to using only one eye.

At that both Ginny and Hermione started to cry softly.

"Now to the other matter." Dumbledore continued. "Ron did indeed use the Avada Kedavra curse during his fight. Which resulted in the death of one of the Death Eaters."

"Professor..... is Ron going to have to go to Azkaban?" asked Hermione looking as if she might faint at any second.

Fred and his brothers turned and looked at Hermione as if she were crazy while Arthur and Molly Weasley just looked more concerned.

"It seems Miss Granger that the bank has a arrangement with the Ministry allowing the use of and I quote, any magic that may be needed to safeguard it's employees in the commission of their employment."

"However that does not mean we do not have a reason to be concerned. Use of such a powerful spell especially used to take the life of another being can have very damaging effects on the caster."

"How so Professor?" Hermione pressed.

"Just before the healing spell took hold young Mr. Weasley regained his consciousness and asked me to forgive him for using the Unforgivable curse. He is likely to carry a great weight of guilt for a very long time."

George Weasley looked up at that. "Ron has nothing to feel guilty about. He did it to save his life from what you've told us and in any case I can't seem to find it in my heart to mourn the loss of some evil Death Eater."

Professor Dumbledore looked at him sharply. "I did not say Ron should feel guilty for what he did. I said he will feel guilty. Your brother has gained a great deal of wisdom at a terrible price and I suggest you try to learn something from his experience as well. The taking of a life even when justified is a hard thing to bear and the belief that you should take a life only when necessary is one of the things that separates us from the Death Eaters."

"Molly I do not believe Ron will be ready to return to school until a week after classes have begun. I suggest you do your normal school shopping and send Ron's things along Harry. Then we he can travel he can go directly to Hogwarts."

"Can I go see him Albus?" she all but begged.

"Sadly Molly the hospital is a very high security building and by the time I have gotten you clearance Ron will be back at school. It is very fortunate that Bill works for the bank or he would not have even known where the hospital was."

She nodded slightly "At least he's going to be ok."

"I have to be going now. There were many attacks and I need to see how extensive the losses have been." His face sagging as he said it.

Then his face perked up for a moment. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out to packages and a letter. "I have something for Harry and Hermione. Ron insisted that I get these to you. I also have a letter from a friend that Ron met in Egypt explaining what they are. She has been kind enough to stay with him a great deal and we all owe her a good deal of thanks."

"Now if you will excuse me."

Everyone said goodbye to the professor as he moved to a clear spot in the kitchen and then with a loud crack disappeared.

Molly Weasley smiled "Well no sense in everybody frowning. Ron's fine and we will all see him soon. Now why don't you open your packages children?"

Harry started to open his then said. "Maybe we should read the letter first. Hermione why don't you just read it out loud." and shaking he handed it to her.

Hermione open the letter and began to read.

_Harry, Hermione and the rest of Ron's family and friend,_

_First of all let me say it say been wonderful to have Ron with us this summer. We are all better for having known him._

"Are we sure she is talking about our Ron?" laughed George? Causing everyone to laugh but Mrs. Weasley and Hermione who oddly were wearing the exact same expression of indignation."

_By now the Professor will have given Harry and Hermione your presents. So I will tell you a bit about both of them. Each of them has a magical purpose and though not particularly powerful could be very useful. Each is also tied to a specific story from my countries past._

_The arm band Ron chose for you Harry was given to a valiant prince by his loyal younger brother. Its virtue is that when the wearer is in dire need of aid the giver will be pulled to his side. Ron chose this for you so that you would never have to fight alone._

_Hermione, the necklace Ron has given you was first given to a wise and powerful witch. She was part of an order of witches that bound themselves to their land and people. To do so they forsook all other bonds. In that time many people from the north came to Egypt seeking knowledge. One of these was a tall fair man who the stories say had hair that shone as if wreathed in flame. This man entered into the service of the order and became one of their most loyal and trustworthy guards. Through many trials the Witch and Warrior foiled all the plots of Dark Wizards and evil men. During this time the Warrior had fallen in love with the Witch so for her birthday he commissioned this piece. Unknown to the Warrior the Witch had also fallen in love with him. They could never express their love to one another since they were bound by their oaths to the order but they both knew all the same. The Witch enchanted the necklace so that it reflected the emotions of the giver. The wearer can also concentrate of the giver and understand what that person is feeling at that moment._

_Since that time the necklace has been given many times between a man and a woman. In almost every instance it has been given when the giver has been unsure of the feeling of the recipient._

_It is my intention to stay here until Ron is ready to return home. I will keep in touch and feel that you will all be seeing him very soon._

_Yasmine bat Alfar_

Hermione stopped reading her cheeks tinged with pink. "Why don't you open your present first Harry?"

"Ok" He said with a barely visible smirk. He tore open the package quickly and removed a small bronze armband for the box. He looked at it and then let a small "ohhh" escape from his lips.

"What is it Harry dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

Harry held the armband up for everyone to see. Inscribed on it was the image of a prancing stag.

"Isn't your Patronus a stag Harry?" Fred asked.

Harry nodded his head.

"Well then ickle Ronniekins really out did himself on the present didn't he."

Then George spoke up "Before you say that my dear brother why don't we let Hermione open her present." Not totally suppressing a chuckle.

Hermione opened her some what smaller box and with a gasp pulled out her present. The necklace was a waterfall of garnets that caught the light and sparkled like a ripple of light.

"Why don't you try it on dear?" Mrs. Weasley said gently

"Here I'll help you." Ginny said as Hermione's hands seemed to be shaking for some reason.

"Thanks Ginny"

Ginny pulled the necklace clasp around her neck as Hermione held her hair up.

Hemione turned to face everyone. "So what do you all think?"

The dark red of the garnets magnified the warmth of her deep brown eyes and gave the impression of a barely hidden fire.

"I think my brother has great taste in presents." said Charlie.

"Great taste in presents? I'd say he has great taste in women." Mr. Weasley said with a smile.

Hermione flushed red stammering "I ...we..aren't....maybe...OHHHH." and ran upstairs.

The boys erupted in laughter while Ginny and Mrs. Weasley glared at them.

"Arthur if you are laughing at that poor embarrassed girl......"

"Oh no molly." He said trying to choke down another chuckle.

"Ginny dear go upstairs and talk to Hermione. The rest of you clear out I have dinner to make."


	6. Family

Family

A gentle knocking brought Harry out of his day dreaming. Sitting up and reaching for his glasses he called out "Come in."

Hermione poked her head inside the room "Ginny and I would like to talk to you if you aren't asleep."

"Sure come on in. I was just laying here but I couldn't seem to get to sleep."

Hermione and Ginny came into the room and closed the door. Hermione flopped out on Ron's bed and Ginny sat on the edge of the bed Harry slept in.

Harry looked up "You guys worried about Ron too?"

They both looked at him and then finally Hermione shook her head. "No Harry we are worried about you."

She took a deep breath and continued. "We know you have come to terms with Sirius dying but you never really talked about it and to be honest we are concerned that until you talk it out it is still going to bother you."

"I'm fine, Right now we should be worried about Ron don't you think."

"Harry don't worry about Ron. He's fine"

"How in the hell do you know that?" Harry snapped.

Hermione just lifted the necklace from inside her shirt and showed it to him.

"Ohh" sighed Harry "I guess you would know wouldn't you?"

Both Ginny and Hermione just sat and looked at him

"Ok I do want to talk about it but I want to wait until Ron gets back. I think I want the four of us to talk about several things. Things are going to get bad before they get better and I want everyone to be ready for whatever happens."

"Your really worried aren't you Harry?' Ginny asked softly.

"Hell yes I'm worried." He said a bit too loudly. "Sirius is dead, Ron is in the hospital and I have no idea who is going to be next. I'm tired of people getting hurt."

The hurt and worry were evident in his voice and it was thick with unshed tears.

Ginny and Hermione both wrapped their arms around him.

"It's going to be alright Harry. We're going to get through this." Ginny whispered.

"Yeah Harry we just have to take care of each other." grinned Hermione. "Though I think Ginny wants to take care of you more than I do."

Ginny and Harry both turned bright red and Ginny stuck her tongue out at Hermione.

"I think you would have more luck if you made that offer to Harry." giggled Hermione.

"Hermione what's gotten into you? gasped Ginny.

"For once in my life I'm feeling really good about who I am and I intend to enjoy it to the fullest."

"So you're going to let my brother know how you feel then?"

"No I am going to let him come to me."

At that both Harry and Ginny snorted.

"Hermione you haven't had much luck waiting for Ron to make the first move yet you know." Harry noted.

"Yeah Hermione you know Harry's right." added Ginny.

"Yes that's how it has been in the past and I can't tell you why I think it has changed but I'm sure of it. He's going to tell me and it will be soon after he gets back to school."

"If you say so Hermione." Harry said doubtfully.

Hermione yawned "Though if he doesn't tell me soon I will just have to go snog him until he does."

Both Ginny and Harry stared at her like they didn't know who she was.

"Anyway why don't Ginny and I sleep in here Harry? We can sleep in Ron's bed that way we will all be together."

"We won't always be able to be together." Harry said softly.

"That's where you're wrong." Ginny said "We can only be split up if we let it happen; now both of you go to sleep. We have to go to Diagon alley tomorrow, right after your O.W.L.S. arrive."

"Ohh I had forgotten all about our O.W.L.S." Hermione said sleepily

Both Harry and Ginny looked at her then mouthed the word "love" at each other then got into bed.


	7. Delightful Surprises

Delightful Surprises

Molly Weasley pushed the door open slowly.

"Harry dear" she said gently "It's time to wake up."

As she walked into the room she noticed that both Ginny and Hermione were asleep in Ron's bed. She moved over and shook both Ginny and Hermione awake.

"Girls it's time for breakfast"

Both the girls blinked and in the other bed Harry sat up.

"Ginny and Hermione both wanted to stay together last night and since Ron isn't back yet we thought it would be ok."

Mrs. Weasley seemed to hesitate for just a second before replying "Well of course it is Harry dear. Now all of you get cleaned up. Breakfast will be ready soon and then we have to leave for Diagon Ally as soon as your O.W.L.S. arrive."

Ginny jumped out of the bed and ran towards the showers with Hermione a few steps behind her.

"I'm afraid you may have a bit of a wait Harry. Those girls seem to take forever in the bathroom now." Mrs. Weasley said smiling as she left the room.

As Molly walked downstairs her mind kept returning to her finding Hermione and Ginny in Ron's bed.

_Why does that bother me? I can't think of it for the life of me._

Lost in thought she did not notice her husband coming up behind her.

Arthur Weasley wrapped his arms around his wife's waist and kissed her on the neck.

"Good morning my love." he whispered in her ear.

Molly giggled "Arthur if you don't hurry up and eat you are going to be late for work, plus while you are eating I want to talk to you about something."

She swiftly recounted finding the girls in Ron's bed and that she couldn't figure out why it bothered her.

Her husband looked down at his plate and then raising his face to look in her eyes gently said "I can tell you Molly but your not going to like it."

"Come on Arthur what can possibly be wrong?"

"Molly you are worried that soon Hermione is going to take your baby boy away from you."

"That's just silly they are still just children."

"Yes and no Molly. Are they still very young? Of course they are. Are they too young to get married? Again of course they are. Think about this though, are they any younger than we were when we first fell in love with each other?"

"But Arthur that different."

"No Molly it isn't. You know well that sometimes Weasley men pick their mates very early. I'm not saying we should start planning a wedding and I'm not saying we should start getting ready for grandchildren. What I am saying is that I firmly believe that Hermione is going to be a part of this family for a very long time and that's what bothered you in the first place."

He got up and wrapped his arms around her again "Molly I know you love that girl like she was one of your own daughters. What you might have to get used to is her really being part of our family."

Then he kissed his wife again and headed to the Floo. "I'll see you at dinner tonight" and he vanished.

A few minutes later Hermione and Ginny came running down the stairs.

"Good morning mom."

"Good morning Ginny."

Hermione walked over to Mrs. Weasley "I just wanted to say thank you for letting me stay here and for all the things your family has done for me these past few years."

"Well lass your part of our family now and we love having you here." Molly said misty eyed.

"If she keeps getting closer to Ron she could be an even greater part of our family." Ginny snickered.

Hermione blushed and looked at Mrs. Weasley who sighed "You are still a bit young for that kind of thinking but Hermione would make the most wonderful daughter in law I could possibly imagine."

Both Hermione and Ginny were both speechless and even Mrs. Weasley seemed shocked she had said that.

At that moment Harry came down the stairs his hair flying all around. "So what have I missed?"

All three women burst into laughter leaving Harry standing there.

"Well be like that." He huffed and sat down to help himself to some bacon.

Then several owls flew through the kitchen window and started dropping letters on the table.

Harry and Hermione reached for the letters that had been addressed to them with more than a little trepidation.

"Go on Hermione." Teased Harry "You know you did really well."

Hermione slowly opened her envelope and scanned the results.

"Well Hermione?" Harry teased.

She looked up with a big smile on her face. "I got ten. Go on Harry look at yours now."

Harry tore into his and looked over the results.

Potions O

Transfiguration E

Defense against the Dark Arts O

Charms E

History of Magic P

Herbology E

Divination P

Astronomy A

Care of Magical Creatures O

"Well I got six plus I got all the ones I need to be Auror."

"Well done Harry." Mrs. Weasley beamed.

"Yeah, good for you." Ginny smiled.

"It looks like we'll still be in a lot of classes together Harry." noted Hermione.

"Well only Ron's is left unopened." Ginny said with a smile.

Mrs. Weasley started to speak. "Maybe we should wait..."

When Ginny reached out and tore open the envelop.

Then she started to smile.

"He got an E in potions, a E in transfiguration, an O in Defense against the dark arts, a P in Herbology, an E in charms, a P in history of magic, an O in divination and a A in Astronomy. Not bad for my git of a brother." She said with a smile.

Harry went pale.

"Whats wrong Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Ron wants to be an Auror but Snape only takes Outstanding results into his N.E.W.T. level classes."

Ginny had picked up the Daily Prophet.

"That's not Ron's biggest problem right now Harry" she said.

Ginny turned the paper around so they could see the front page.

There in big bold headlines it said.

Ministry Official's Son Thwarts Death Eater Attack

Ronald Weasley son of Ministry official Arthur Weasley single handedly prevented a Death Eater attack on a Gringott's bank site in Egypt. According to eye witnesses young Mr. Weasley fought off three Death Eaters. Two of the Death Eaters were captured providing Ministry officials with valuable information. The third Death Eater died in spell combat with young Mr. Weasley.

Ron Weasley is known to be the best friend of the Boy Who Lived and attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It seems as if the two of them will be a formidable team in the battle against You Know Who.

Mr. Weasley is now recovering from injuries sustained in the battle. We know that the whole of the wizarding community sends it's very best wishes for a speedy recovery.

On a slightly less serious note it is this reporters personal opinion that Mr. Weasley and the Boy Who Lived are going to be this years most eligible bachelors at Hogwarts school. I expect they will have to beat the girls off much the same way the have to do with the Death Eaters.

"Ron is not going to like this." smirked Ginny.


	8. Alley Cats

Alley Cats

Diagon Alley had been packed from the moment they had arrived. It had taken a considerable amount of time to move through most of the shops and Mrs. Weasley was glad that they only had a couple of more stops to make.

"Harry why don't you and Ginny go and pick up everyone's books and Hermione and I will go this way a bit."

"Umm Hermione usually likes to go get her books. She's kind of a bookworm." Ginny snickered.

"Well I guess you could go with them Hermione. I was just thinking you might like to help me pick out Ron's new robes." Mrs. Weasley said looking at the ground.

Hermione looked a bit surprised. "Ginny, you and Harry have my list and you know which books I will need. I'm going to go with Mrs. Weasley."

Harry sputtered "Hermione Granger are you telling me that you are passing up a chance to go to the book store?"

Hermione gave him one of her patented stares "I am telling you that Mrs. Weasley and I are going shopping. Now get to the book store and don't forget anything."

With that she grabbed Mrs. Weasleys hand and said "I saw some very handsome robes in a store just a few spots down."

Harry and Ginny watched them walk away and started to laugh.

"That girl has got it bad." Ginny said when she could talk again. "For my brother of all people."

"Now really Ginny, Ron isn't so bad is he?" teased Harry.

"Well maybe not but he isn't very good looking."

"I guess the women got all the looks in the Weasley family, eh?

"Harry Potter are you flirting with me?"

"If I am I must not be doing a very good job if you're not sure I am." he said grinning.

Ginny grabbed his arm tightly "Come on you, we need to get these books before your mouth puts you in a situation you're charming smile can't get you out of."

_I have a charming smile?_

Meanwhile Mrs. Weasley and Hermione were going through rack after rack of robes looking for something that might not clash with Ron's bright red hair.

After a few minutes Hermione held up a dark green set of robes trimmed in black. "What do you think Mrs. Weasley."

Mrs. Weasley looked at them "I think those are absolutely perfect. You have a very good eye dear."

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley, most of the other girls at school think I'm odd because I don't get into fashion magazines or wear make up."

"Well dear they aren't quite as mature as you are. Style is no substitute for substance. Now what do you say I pay for these robes and then we can grab Harry and Ginny and go for a butterbeer?

"That sounds really great."

They moved through the crowd stopping every few feet to chat with well wishers. It seemed the article in the Daily Prophet had been the talk of the town.

They got to the book store just as Harry and Ginny had gathered the last of the books from the list.

"You kids wait out here and I'll go pay. Then we'll go to the Three Broomsticks for a bit." Then Mrs. Weasley headed to the counter to pay for all of the books.

What had up to then had been a fairly pleasant day soon turned sour as they heard a familiar but not welcome voice behind them.

"So Potter brought your pet Mudblood and a charity case shopping?" insolently drawled Malfoy.

Before anyone of them could react another familiar voice called out "Malfoy that's French for....bad smell?"

Malfoy's face flushed and all of them turned to see Seamus walking up to them.

"You need to make sure you're on the right side Mudblood lover." Malfoy hissed at him.

"Have you seen the Daily Prophet today Malfoy?"

"Why should that matter to you?"

"Well you should read it before you decide who's side your own." smirked Seamus.

Harry and Ginny laughed but Hermione looked a bit concerned.

Malfoy's eyes scanned the headline growing angrier by the second "I wouldn't count on the Weasel King saving you Seamus."

"Maybe not Malfoy but I wouldn't count on you not being the second Death Eater he wastes either." Seamus retorted.

Both Hermione and Ginny gasped and looked like they were about to interrupt when Fred and George walked up behind them.

"Yeah Malfoy you thought being a bouncing ferret was bad." laughed George.

"Really I hope he never has to do it again but if he does I hope it's you Malfoy." Fred said pointedly

Malfoy went ghostly white and turned around and fled up the Ally.

"I can't believe you just said that." Hermione said shaking with anger. "Never wish that anyone would die."

Fred leaned in close to her and said softly "War is coming and soon. Either people like Malfoy are going to die or people like Ron are going to die. I think we both know which one you would choose."

"Mmm maybe but you don't have to be happy about it."

George leaned in closer "Hermione nobody is happy about it. I'm scared to death and I know a lot of other people are. We laugh Hermione because if we don't we might cry."

Fred looked up at all of them as Mrs. Weasley came back. "Mum I think you need to get everyone back home. George and I will be along in a little while."


	9. Back on the Train Gang

Back on the train gang.

Harry tossed and turned in his sleep. His mind wandering from place to place unable to shake the feeling of dread.

"How did a child defeat three of my Death Eaters?" a cold voice asked.

"I do not know Master. Berezney was a proven veteran and the other two were able wizards. Perhaps there is something special about the boy."

"Of course there is something special about him Bellatrix. Are you that stupid? You should know by now power calls to power. Think for a moment, Potter is the child of the prophecy. The witch is the brightest of her age and if not for Potters unique birthright she would be the most powerful as well. So now Potter provides the power. The witch provides the intelligence and knowledge. What could the other boy provide Bellatrix?"

Bellatrix smiled "The will Master. He provides the will to use it. Those fools would call it courage."

"Very good Bellatrix I do not despair of you yet. So now you see how ill it befalls us to have let him escape. Even more he has defeated one of us. Because of your and your subordinates incompetence the wizarding world has another hero to take his place besides Potter."

"We can kill their hero's easily my Master."

"Fool! Do you know nothing of the foe? Once you have given them a hero they will fight us even in death. When you give them a hero a dozen more rally to their cause. When you kill their hero a hundred more flock to their banner."

"What shall we do then Master?" fear evident in her voice.

"He has slain one of mine and for that I will break him. When he is broken and near to death I will return him so they may see the price of my wrath. I will take their hero and return to them a empty husk. I shall make what you did to the Longbottoms seem like an act of mercy."

At that Bellatrix laughed insanely.

"I am glad that you are pleased Bellatrix. Now I believe I have not rewarded you for your failure."

"Crucio" the cold voice whispered and Bellatrix's scream seemed to pierce his very soul.

"Harry wake up" Ginny said softly shaking him.

"Harry" she said a little louder.

Harry sat up with a shudder "Oh no not again."

"What is it Harry?" asked Hermione.

Harry looked around and saw that the covers on Ron's bed and been tossed around.

"What are you two doing in here?"

"Well Hermione wanted to sleep in here one last time since we are leaving tomorrow for Hogwarts. Now why were you screaming? Did you have another nightmare?"

Harry nodded his head. "Voldemort is angry about Ron defeating his Death Eaters. He's going to come after Ron to break him."

Ginny turned white as a ghost.

"I think he may find that harder than he thinks." Hermione said quietly.

Molly Weasley open the door to Harry's room to find Ginny and Hermione holding Harry between them asleep on his bed.

_These poor kids have already seen so much. I guess holding them to normal standards just doesn't apply._

"Ok everybody up we have to get dressed and eat in a jiffy. Your father got cars from the Ministry but we can't take all day about it."

Harry sat up rubbing his eyes "Mrs. Weasley I ...." He stammered looking at Ginny and Hermione.

"It's ok Harry I know you are all good kids."

"Mrs. Weasley walked out of the room and headed down to the kitchen.

"So Harry, are you a good kid?" Ginny said with a slight smile.

"That depends on what you think I'm good at." he laughed.

"Well then why don't you show me what you are good at."

"One day, Ginny, one day."

Hermione looked at both of them "Is there something the two of you want to tell me?"

"Hermione I was just teasing him." laughed Ginny.

"Tease being the operative word." smirked Harry who then ran for the bathroom.

"Harry you prat" Ginny howled throwing a pillow at his back.

The three of them wolfed their breakfast down and loaded up the Ministry cars.

"You know this goes a lot faster without Ron taking so long" Ginny noted.

"Ginny that wasn't very nice." Hermione hissed.

"You are really starting to miss him aren't you?" asked Ginny

"Yeah I really am but how did you know?"

"Well you talk in your sleep. I would tell you what you said but I was brought up to act like a lady." Ginny said laughing before she even finished saying it.

Harry almost choked to death on his gum.

"Ginny" Hermione squealed.

The ride to the station was mostly uneventful with the exception of Mr. Weasley accidentally turned the windshield wiper spray on.

Even without Ron they arrived with only about fifteen minutes to board the train.

"Now children remember to be good. Hermione will you take Ron's Prefect badge and hold it until he arrives?"

"Yes Mrs. Weasley, I would be glad to help in any way."

Behind her Ginny made a gagging motion and Harry laughed.

Mrs. Weasley hugged all of them and when she got to Harry she leaned over and whispered "Take care Harry and be careful. It's nice having a family member with dark hair."

Harry felt tears spring to his eyes "Thanks for everything you've done Mrs. Weasley."

"Well now you kids better get going."

Hermione, Harry and Ginny got their luggage loaded and boarded the train.

"I have to go to the Prefects compartment for a moment. Why don't you too find us a compartment and I'll join you in a bit."

"Ok Hermione we can do that." Harry replied.

Harry and Ginny found an empty compartment towards the end of the train.

"So Ginny are you looking forward to your O.W.L.S.?" Harry asked without the trace of a smile.

"As much as you are looking forward to a kiss from Malfoy." she shot right back.

"Did you know your cute when you are angry?"

"Harry Potter if your teasing me again I'll put a hex on your Dumbledore won't be able to get rid of."

"Of course I'm not teasing. You are very cute especially when you are angry."

"In fact Ginny over the past few days I've only been able to get any sleep when you have been near by."

It took Hermione the better part of an hour to get all the Prefect work finished.

_You know I always thought Ron didn't do much Prefect work but not having him here was a lot harder."_

Hermione found Neville and Luna in the compartment with Harry and Ginny.

Neville put a finger to his lips and pointed over to where both Harry and Ginny were asleep. Her head resting on his chest, his arm holding her close.

Hermione smiled and nodded to both of them. Then she reached down and fished out her book and settled down to read for the rest of the trip.


	10. Ties that Bind

As the Hogwarts express came to a stop with a gentle sigh, the students onboard started to unload their luggage.

Hermione leaned over and woke up Harry and Ginny.

"Ok you two we're here so get moving."

Harry looked down at Ginny and then smiled a bit.

"You know it's a good thing Ron isn't here to see this."

"Right you are Mr. Potter. My older brother would take you to task for laying your hands on his innocent sister.

"So Ron has a sister I haven't met that's innocent? Besides I'm not afraid of your brothers spells." He laughed.

"You may be the Oh So Big Headed Boy Who Lived but I suspect my great git of a brother could teach you a thing or two about fisticuffs."

"Oh and why do you think that is Little Ms. Weasley?"

"Because he grew up the youngest of six brothers all of whom picked on him at some point or another." she smirked.

"Umm point taken." Harry conceded.

"If you two are finished flirting we need to get off the train and find a carriage."

"My dear Hermione I have not yet begun to flirt." Ginny grinned as she gathered her stuff and disembarked the train.

"Harry do you know what you have gotten yourself into?"

Harry just shook his head at Hermione and grinned.

By the time Harry and Hermione had gotten off the train Ginny was waving them to a carriage.

They got to the carriage and saw that Neville and Luna had also joined them.

After they had climbed in Harry turned to Neville and asked "hey Neville you look different or am I imagining things?"

At that Luna turned to Harry with that dreamy sounding voice "Neville has turned into quite a good looking young man Harry and I imagine he will be quite popular this year."

She then turned to stare back out of the window.

Neville blushed "I spent a lot of time working on my uncle's farm so I got to be outdoors a lot. I think it will help my flying. Hey do you know who is Quidditch captain?"

"No Neville I don't and I would have thought that it would have been decided by now. I'll ask McGonagall as soon as I can and let you know."

Neville looked serious then set his shoulders as if he was going to do something unpleasant. "Have you heard anything more about Ron?"

At this Hermione perked up "Sorry Neville we haven't but we do know he is safe and we should be seeing him soon."

When Hermione said he was safe Harry looked at her sharply but didn't say anything.

The carriages arrived at the castle and they got out very quickly.

"I'm starving, I hope the sorting doesn't take too long." Harry said as they head to the Great Hall.

"So with Ron absent you have decided to take on the mantle of Gryffindor pig." teased Ginny.

"Well I like to think of it as a tribute to my best mate. Who I wish would hurry up and get here."

Ginny's face got serious "We all do Harry we all do."

Then they both looked at Hermione who just nodded.

As soon as he sat down in the Hall Harry looked over at the teachers table hoping to see the new DADA professor. The only new face was a tall man with golden hair, a weather beaten face and eyes that seemed to take the measure of you in a glance. Harry had the oddest impression that the man was older than her appeared.

He turned to talk to Hermione about the new professor when the doors to the hall opened and Professor McGonagall led the first years in for the Sorting.

Harry and Ginny talked about what the new DADA professor might be like during the Sorting which frustrated Hermione.

The Professor Dumbledore stood up "Those of you who are new might expect a speech now but I expect you to Tuck In."

The plates began to fill with all manner of foods and soon all the students had loaded their plates.

There was a surprisingly small amount of talking and it seemed as if most of the students were very hungry.

At long last the student seemed to have gotten their fill. Harry thought he had eaten way too much cherry pie. In fact he was certain that at that moment he was more cherry pie than Harry Potter.

Just as the last of the food disappeared the doors to the Great hall opened. Harry turned to see what was going on along with everyone else in the Hall. As soon as the person stepped into the hall Harry's face split into a grin.

"It's Ron, you guys, it's Ron."

Ron walked into the Hall. It was just as he remembered it. Well he had never heard it that quiet before which was kind of creepy. Then he remembered he had a letter for Professor Dumbledore.

Ron walked towards the Teachers table and saw Hermione looking up at him concern etched on her face. Turning his head to the side he winked at her with his remaining eye and grinned.

When Ron had walked in Hermione had taken a good look at him. His hair was much longer it now rested several inches below his shoulders and he had grown a good deal more. His body had changed a bit too she noted. He hadn't bulked up or suddenly become a muscle bound strong man. His body had well, matured, yes that was the right word. It was very pleasing to her eyes and she suspected it might be pleasing to other eyes as well. Then she forced her self to look at his face. He had a leather eye patch over his missing eye and she found that neither it nor the slight scar that came out of both the top and bottom of the patch made him any less attractive.

Ron reached the teachers table.

"Excuse me Professor Dumbledore but I have two letters for you"

"Thank you Mr. Weasley, you may join your house now."

"Yes Sir."

"Oh and Mr. Weasley, it's very good indeed to have you back."

"Thank you Professor." He replied with a grin.

It was still very quiet as he started to walk back to the Gryffindor table when a couple of Hufflepuff's stood up and started clapping. That was all it took to ignite the Gryffindor table and they all started clapping, cheering and banging on the tables. Soon all of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws had joined in as well. Thoroughly embarrassed and not really sure what to do he started to sit down only to notice a great number of the Slytherins were clapping as well.

_Well I never thought I would see that happen._

As soon as Professor Snape noticed them he told them to sit down in short order.

_At least some things never change._

Professor Dumbledore stood up and after the noise died down started to speak.

"Mr. Filch,the caretaker, has asked me to tell you the forbidden list has been extended to include anything for sale in Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes which I believe is located in Diagon Ally." His eyes twinkling

"Also the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students, even those students who keep going back to it."

"I would like to take this opportunity to introduce your new Defense against the Dark Art Professor Leonidas."

The tall golden haired man stood acknowledging the clapping.

"Now I believe it is time for you all to return to your common rooms to get prepared for tomorrow's classes."

As soon as everyone stood up the entire Gryffindor table surged towards Ron talking at once.

Ron held up his hands "Look I'll tell you anything you want to know but can it wait an hour or so? I need to take care of some things tonight."

Everybody said they would see him in just a bit in the common room. As they turned to go he reached out and caught Hermione's hand.

"Is there something you need Ron?" concern plain on her face.

"It's more like someone."

Very slowly he pulled her towards him wrapping his arms around her. Feeling her rubbing her nuzzling against his chest he took a moment to savor the scent of her hair.

Finally he lifted her head.

"Hermione if we don't go to the common room now we may never make it there." he smiled.

She just nodded a bit sadly but brightened when he reached for her hand interlacing his fingers with hers.

"I have to talk to you, Harry and Ginny about something important."


	11. Gathering the Pride

Gathering the Pride.

"Oy Hermione, I forgot about the first years." Ron said suddenly.

Ron turned around and waved at the Gryffindor first year students.

"Alright you lot, if you will please follow the lovely Miss Granger we will show you to our common room."

"The lovely Miss Granger?" Hermione questioned.

"Ahem Mr. Weasley I believe you know that public displays of affection are against school policy." Professor McGonagall prompted.

Ron looked down at Hermione's hand still clutched in his. She tried to let go of his hand but he just held on.

"But Professor I'm still having a bit of trouble seeing. Hermione was just showing me the way." he smiled.

"I can well believe that Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger has been showing you the way for years now."

Hermione covered up her snicker with her free hand.

"Also Mr. Weasley would you please come to my office tomorrow as soon as classes get out. Bring Mr. Potter with you, I need to discuss the subject of Quidditch Captain with both of you."

"Speaking of which Professor I don't think I should be involved in that. The last thing that Gryffindor needs is a keeper who can't see half of the field."

"Mr Weasley I have become used to seeing the Quidditch cup in my office and I would hate to hold your leaving the team responsible for it relocating to say Professor Snapes office."

Professor McGonagall step in closer to the two and looked down at their still joined hands.

"Besides Mr. Weasley it seems you are seeing more clearly than you ever have before, now both of you get these first years to your common room."

"Yes Professor McGonagall." Hermione answered.

"Good night Professor." Ron called after her.

It took Ron and Hermione a half an hour to get the first years through the common room and into their dorms. Ron came into the common room laughing.

"Sorry that took so long I had to read one of them a story so he would go to sleep."

Harry laughed. "I take it he was scared?"

"Nah more like home sick. He'll be ok in a few days"

"Hermione would you grab Ginny and then we can go up to our dorm and talk."

"You know I bet Ginny would like it better if Harry grabbed her." Hermione said jumping up to go get Ginny and grinning over her shoulder at Harry.

"There something you would like to tell me Harry?"

Harry just stammered for a second until Ron rescued him.

"I was kidding mate and if you ever did start to date my sister I couldn't think of a better man."

Ginny walked up laughing at the look on Harry's face.

"Ok you guys wanted me for something?"

Ron stood up "Ok guys lets go up to our dorm and talk for a second."

"Hey Seamus."

"Yeah Ron?"

"Do a mate a favor and keep anybody from coming up to the dorm. I need to tell these guys some stuff then I'll come back down and give you guys the scoop on what happened."

"Will do mate."

Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron headed up to the dorm. As soon as they got in Ron shut the door. Harry flopped on his bed and Ginny sat down next to him.

"Ok first let me tell you guys that boy did I miss you while I was gone. Now do me a favor tell me everything I missed before I tell you what happened."

"I think Harry should do the telling Ron." Hermione added looking around for a place to sit.

Ron grabbed Hermione "Bloody hell Hermione you can sit on my bed. You can lay on it if you want to."

"You can even spend the night there if you want to." he added with a small smile looking at Harry and Ginny.

Hermione looked stunned and Ginny started laughing so hard she had to cram her fist in her mouth not to scream.

"Relax Hermione I know you aren't going to stay the night here." Ron snickered.

"Really? I was just trying to figure out how to get my clothes for tomorrow up here." she said smiling at Harry and Ginny.

It was Ron's turn to look stunned and both Harry and Ginny did scream in laughter.

"Well if you two are done teasing each other I can tell Ron all the things he has missed."

Harry quickly went over the past two and a half months. How the order has still looking for Voldemort. How many people had been lost in the Death Eater attacks. Then in a small voice he told them all about what the prophecy had said.

"So I have to fight Voldemort alone."

Both Ginny and Hermione rushed over to Harry and wrapped him up in their arms.

"Harry mate I think your wrong. You don't have to fight Voldemort alone."

"Ron you heard what the prophecy said. I don't have a choice and there's more. Voldemort is coming for you. He doesn't want to kill you, he wants to break you and make an example of you to anyone who would fight back."

"Well really that's nothing new. I mean we have been hounded by that nut job since the Chamber of Secrets. Anyway Harry I want you to listen to me now and then again downstairs. I'm going to tell you things I won't tell the rest of the house but there is some stuff you might want to know that I'm going to tell them."

"Ok first you guys know I died for a little bit right?"

Harry Ginny and Hermione all nodded. Hermione looked like she was going to start crying.

Ron reached out and took her hand.

"Well when I died I went to this place. I guess you would call it the afterlife and Sirius was there waiting for me. He said he was supposed to help me transition into the next life and I have to say it seemed pretty pleasant. Well he soon discovered that I was going to make it and that I was only going to be there for a short time more. So he called your parents out and they asked me to give you a message."

Harry looked stunned and Ginny was holding both of his hands. Hermione was looking back and forth between Ron and Harry with a very concerned expression on her face.

"Your mum said she was very proud of you and that they both missed you terribly but that they would see you in many years when you had lived your life to the fullest. Your dad said that you were an even better Quidditch player than he was and that one day we would all get to play Quidditch together. Your dad also said to tell you they both loved you very much."

"They also said to tell Moony to get on with having some fun and that they would be waiting for him when he was ready. Oh and one more thing. Your mum asked me to give something to you."

Ron leaned over and kissed Harry on the cheek.

He sat back up and looked at both Ginny and Hermione as if daring them to make a joke but both of them seemed on the verge of tears for some reason.

"Did they say anything else to you Ron?" Harry said softly.

"Well they told me a couple of things that dealt with me personally."

"Would you mind telling me mate? I know it wasn't meant for me but I would like to hear what they said."

Ron took a deep breath "Well your parents said you have a power that Voldemort doesn't just like in the prophecy and that I know what the power is, which strangely enough I believe I do."

At that moment Ron's stomach rumbled so loudly in startled them all and then they broke up into laughter.

"I had to go and miss the feast and I'm starving. I didn't get a chance to eat today while I was traveling.

Hermione stood up "Well I'll run down to the common room and see if there is anything to eat down there. Be right back."

"Thanks Hermione you're the best." Ron called after her.

The Harry spoke up "You sounded like you had something else to say."

"Well yeah Sirius also told me that if I wanted Hermione to know I loved her I should show her I loved her."

Harry smiled "Well Sirius was a pretty smart guy and good with the ladies from what I had heard."

"He was pretty damn cute too." Ginny added.

Harry raised his eyebrows "So you fancied Sirius then did you."

"Harry every girl that saw him fancied him." Ginny shot back.

"Oh really and what was it about Sirius that all the girls loved?" Harry said just a little to loudly.

"Well it was that wild dark hair and those flashing eyes. Not to mention he had a great smile when he has really happy about something, kind of reminded me of you sometimes. Though Sirius didn't have nearly as big a head as you do."

Before Harry could respond Ginny turned and looked at her brother "So does this mean you are going to tell Hermione what you have been hiding for years?"

Ron cleared his throat "I promise you both before tonight is over Hermione will know exactly what I have been thinking."


	12. Walk like a man

Walk like a man.

"Harry I still think you need to think about this" Ron started.

"We have always thought that you would become more powerful than Voldemort but what if that's not true? What if you can defeat him but just because your special not because you are more powerful. From what you have told us the prophecy only say you can defeat him and I believe you can but what about all of his Death Eaters? Did the prophecy say anything about you being able to beat all of them?"

"No Ron I told you exactly what it said and you know it."

"Look Harry I know this must be starting to get old but bear with me. You have a power Voldemort doesn't have. You have friends or to be more precise friends who love you. That's the power you have. Love is what saved you in the first place. Think about it for a second. You couldn't really hurt Lestrange in the Department of Mysteries because you didn't have enough hate or anger to really want to hurt her. Well hate and anger are both emotions so if some emotions can make a wizard more powerful then why not others?"

"I guess that is possible." conceded Harry.

"You also have one other advantage that Voldemort doesn't. You have people who are going to go with you and fight with you no matter what happens. If things go bad for Voldemort his followers will fade away like a bad dream. Well except for Bellatrix, she is totally off of her nut. The whole point is Harry you are trying to do this alone and in doing so may damn us all."

"Damn it Ron I'm trying to save your lives." shouted Harry.

"Harry" Ginny said softly "What if you can't defeat Voldemort without our help then aren't we all going to die anyway?"

Harry shock his head. "I don't know Ginny I just don't know."

"Face it mate it's Voldemort and his Death Eaters vs. You and the DA. Oh and the Order as well. See we have them outnumbered already." he laughed flashing Harry a grin.

Harry laughed "I don't see how you can just laugh about going into battle with Death Eaters."

"Well Harry I've seen death and it's not nearly as bad as advertised. Also I think we're going to win and when we win we will be heroes and all the girls will love us."

"Ron mate you remind me of Sirius more and more every day."

"You know I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"Well your not anywhere near as good looking as Sirius." smirked Ginny.

"So big brother let me change the subject for a second. How are you going to tell Hermione you fancy her?"

"Well for one I don't fancy her. I...."

A loud crash came from the door way where Hermione had just dropped a plate of food. Tears welled up in her eyes and she ran back down the stairs.

Ron jumped up and chased her down the stairs as fast as he could run.

_Oh bloody hell no, not this time._

Ron caught Hermione in the common room about four feet from the stairway to the girl's dorms. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off of her feet.

"Ron put me down right now." she yelled angrily between sobs.

Ron walked over to the only empty chair in the common room and sat Hermione down in it. Then he knelt down and put a hand on both arms of the chair.

"Hermione Granger I'm not going to let you up until I've had my say. If you still want to leave after I have said it then I won't try to stop you. Do you understand?"

Hermione shrank back into the chair tears still rolling down her cheeks.

Ron took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

_It kills me when I see her cry. This had better be the last time I cause it._

"Hermione you heard me say upstairs that I didn't fancy you right?"

Hermione nodded her head and the rest of the Gryffindors looked stunned.

"Do you know what I was going to say right after that?"

Hermione slowly shook her head.

"I was going to say I don't fancy Hermione because is that not the right word. You fancy a game of Quidditch. You fancy a piece of pie. You fancy going to a movie. You don't fancy the most wonderful woman ever to grace this undeserving earth, you adore her. I did not love you at first sight. Love at first sight is a myth created by bad authors and hormonal teens. I have come to love you over years as I have come to know you. You are kind and good. You care for others and refuse to be cruel even to those who are cruel to you. I have known you for years and yet to this day my heart starts to race when you smile at me. The very fact that someone as beautiful, kind and intelligent as you would even consider being my friend has amazed me for years."

"I have one more thing to say." he continued." "Then I will let you go if you want me to."

"When I was falling from that tower in Egypt the last thought I had before I passed out was how much I was going to miss you."

Ron removed his arms from the chair and rocked back on his heals looking at the floor.

Harry and Ginny where standing at the doorway by the dorm stairs having followed Ron down. Harry looked around the room and all the girls were crying and he was pretty sure that both Neville and Seamus were as well.

Ron looked up at Hermione. She had both of her hands covering her mouth and was still crying.

_Well at least she hasn't jumped up and runaway yet._

At that point Lavender spoke up "I swear to Merlin Hermione if you don't kiss him I will."

Laughter rolled over the common room.

Hermione however looked sharply at Lavender and then threw herself out of the chair at Ron.

Ron barely had to wrap his arms around her before she kissed him.

The moment their lips touched he felt a shock go through him.

_How can her lips be so soft? How can her skin be so warm? How can she smell so good?_

As their kiss deepened Ron lost all sense of time and place, overwhelmed with warmth and joy.

"I can't believe I have to stand here and watch my brother snog his girlfriend." he heard Ginny laughing.

At that the rest of the Gryffindor's started to howl with laughter.

Ron and Hermione broke off their kiss but neither laughed. Ron was looking at Hermione who just looked stunned.

_I swear she gets more beautiful every second._

Ron heard Ginny's voice rise above the laughter. "What I want to know is how my great big git of a brother suddenly became so smooth?"

"I personally think he took a Bludger to the head this summer." Harry snickered.

"Maybe it was all those chocolate frogs he ate." chipped in Seamus

Hermione reached out and brushed Ron's hair back her eyes widening in surprise.

"Ron is that an earring you're wearing?"

Ron smiled "Yeah I got it in Egypt. Do you like it?"

Hermione blushed "Yeah I do it's kind of sexy."

"Hermione I will thank you not to use the word sexy in a sentence about Ron." Ginny started.

"I blame Bill for this, you go off with him to Egypt for three months and you come back with an earring and you have a girlfriend the first night of school. What other surprises do you have for us my dear brother?"

Ron blushed and looked at the ground rubbing his arms.

Ginny walked over to where he was still kneeling and grabbed his arm quickly pulling up the sleeve.

"Great Merlin you got a tattoo?" she all but shouted.

Everyone started to talk at once.

"What is it of?"

"Where is it?"

"Did it hurt?"

"Does Mom know?"

"Ok calm down everyone it's no big deal. I got two tattoos one on each arm. I will show you guys once but then that's it."

Ron took off his robes and pulled his shirt over his head. "If you are going to see them right I need to take my shirt off. They sit pretty high on my biceps."

"You didn't hear me complaining." Lavender said softly

Hermione shot Lavender a look but Lavender just laughed.

"Just because I won't eat your food doesn't mean I can't admire what you ordered." laughed Lavender.

It was said so matter of factly that Hermione had to chuckle.

Each of Ron's biceps had a large gold lion sitting. On the left arm there was a silver otter sleeping and on the right arm there was a silver stag sleeping. The appearance was of the lion guarding both of them.

"Hey Harry isn't your Patronus a Stag?" called Neville.

"Yeah it is." Harry answered with a huge grin. Then he said "Hey Hermione isn't your Patronus an otter?"

Hermione just blushed and nodded. Then she reached out and traced a finger around the gold lions.

"They are magical as well. If either Harry or Hermione are in danger the lions will stand up."

"That is the coolest thing ever." Dean said enviously.

"Now that you have gotten half naked and made your love life public are you ready to tell us what happened in Egypt?" Seamus asked.

Ron laughed "Sure everybody grab a seat."

"Do you want your shirt?" Hermione asked

"Nah it's warm enough in here without it."

Ron sat down on one of the couches and reached for Hermiones hand. With a smile she took his hand and he pulled her into his lap. She laid her head on his shoulder with a smile and he turned to the crowd.

"Harry mate come sit here please. There are parts you know that I don't and it would help things make sense. Bring Ginny with you as well, she always knows more than most people."

"It started with the fight at the Ministry."


	13. Being who you want to be

Being who you want to be.

"We had just finished with that battle at the Department of Mysteries. I had recovered from that spell that turned me into a bigger idiot than I normally was and the welts on my arm from that stupid brain I got attacked by were fading. I had spent the last two days thinking how beautiful Hermione was and that despite the fact that she was just two beds over I was never going to be brave enough to tell her. So as you can imagine I wasn't feeling very good about myself, not to mention I wasn't quite done being jealous of Harry?"

"What?" Harry blurted out. "You were jealous of me?"

"Well sure mate most of the guys here have been at some point."

"Why me of all people?" Harry stammered.

"Well it could be because you're the Boy Who lived. Or it could be because you won the Tri-Wizard Tourney. Or It could be because your rich. Or it could be because you're famous. Or it could be because your probably the best Seeker Gryffindor has ever had. Or it could be..."

Seamus, Dean and Neville all laughed and nodded at the same time.

"Ok ok I understand what you are saying." smirked Harry

"So I was stuck in the hospital wing trying to think of who I could talk to about it. I couldn't talk to Harry because he had big problems right then. I couldn't talk to Herminone because if I could have done that I would have felt a lot better to begin with. Fred and George would have teased me mercilessly. So I decided on Bill, well Bill sent back a message that if I wanted he could get me a job in Egypt and we could spend our off time just talking."

"So that's why you were so quiet the last couple of days we were in the hospital wing." Hermione murmured.

"Yeah I was thinking and since I hadn't done a great deal of that over the last couple of years it was taking some effort."

"Turns out I only needed to talk to Bill for one night. Bill just said that I should stop comparing myself to other people. What I really needed to do was decide who I was and then be that person. So I spent a lot of time reading and Flooing back to the Gringotts library doing research."

"You went to the library?" Hermione asked a shocked expression on her face.

"Yes cutie I did. That where they keep the books for research you know?" he teased

"I knew that I just didn't know that you did!"

Ginny sprayed butterbeer all over Harry.

"Sorry Harry." She said still laughing.

"No problem Ginny now I don't have to shower." Harry giggled.

"Yes you do." Seamus, Dean and Neville said at the same time.

At that the room broke up in laughter.

"So Ron what did you research?" Lavender finally managed to say.

"Well really two things that ended up being the same one. I found out that Love can be used as a way of making spells more powerful."

"Love?" Dean questioned.

"Yeah there are lots of kinds of love. Love for your best mate. Love for your family. Love for your house. Love for the little know it all who stole your heart." he said softly kissing Hermione on the tip of her nose.

"Is that anything like love for the oblivious git who didn't invite you to the Yule Ball?" she said laying her head back on his chest.

"Yes it's exactly like that." Ron laughed.

"So I figured out that we need to forge stronger bonds with all of our friends in Griffindor if we are going to survive the coming war. We also need to become closer with the other Houses as well. Just like the Sorting hat said. Hermione was right all along about that."

"Even Slytherin?" asked Neville.

"Yeah Neville even them, though Malfoy is going to have to be dealt with."

Harry spoke up at this "What do you mean dealt with?"

"I mean we have been taking his shite for years and I'm sick of it but more than that he keeps the Houses mad at each other."

"After I figured all of this out I was eager to get back and take care of some things. Of course right before I was supposed to leave the Death Eaters attacked. Which I guess you guys saw in the Daily Prophet."

"Yeah we all saw it. Did you really kill one of them?" Seamus mumbled looking at the floor.

"Yeah Seamus I really killed him. I wish I hadn't have had to but I did."

"How did you do it if you don't mind my asking."

Hermione, Harry and Ginny all glared at him.

"I used the Avada Kedavra curse." He said his eyes misting.

The rest of the Gryffindors just starred at him.

"I would have done it too." Neville blurted out. "They ought to give you a medal."

Ron just shook his head "Harry I finally beat you at something besides chess."

"What's that mate?" Harry said concern creeping into his expression.

"I killed a man before you." Ron's voiced cracked on the final word and tears started streaming down his cheeks.

Hermione pulled him into a fierce hug and a second later Harry joined them, then Ginny and Neville, then Lavender.

Soon all of the Gryffindor were huddled around Ron who couldn't stop crying over the death of a man whose name he didn't know.

Ron looked up at all the people around him "Oh Merlin help me, I'd do it again to protect you guys."

Several minutes passed and then Parvati stirred "I have got to go to bed. We are all going to be hurting tomorrow during class."

Several voices agreed with her and soon everyone was heading towards their dorms.

"I forgot to ask you Hermione, I take it this means you guys are officially a couple now?" Lavender asked.

Hermione was about to look over her shoulder at Ron when she heard his voice.

"We have been a couple for years now. I was just too stupid to notice."

"Hermione wake up. You have a delivery." Lavender shook her gently.

Hermione sat up and looked around. Lavender was holding a bundle of flowers which still had the morning dew on them.

"This was sitting on the window ledge when I woke up along with this note." she smiled at Hermione.

Good morning Beautiful,

I had a hard time sleeping so I thought I would go get you a little present. I hope you like them. I got a little dirty getting them so I will need a long shower after I drop these off. Would you please make sure that the food doesn't disappear before I get to breakfast?

P.S. tell Harry to stop dreaming about Ginny.

The unworthy object of your affection,

Ron

Herminone got up and started to get dressed.

_If he learned that from reading I am definitely going to take him to the library more often._

Hermione met Harry in the common room and they went down to breakfast together.

"Hey have you seen Ron?"

"Yeah he got up really early. I don't think he's been sleeping very well since the fight with the Death Eaters."

"Yeah I can imagine."

They both grabbed seats at the Gryffindor table.

"Oh yeah Harry, Ron says you should stop dreaming about Ginny." Hermione giggled.

Harry just stared at her open mouthed.

After a moment Harry shook his head and grinned at her.

Harry started loading his plate with eggs and bacon. He also noticed that Hermione has finished getting her food and had started loading the plate for the seat next to her.

Never one to let a good opportunity to tease Hermione pass by, he was about to remark on it when he heard a cold insolent voice coming from behind him.

"So Potty, Mudblood has your boy in a bin lost his other eye yet?"


	14. Directed Studies

Directed Studies.

"Shut it Malfoy." Harry snapped.

"No need to be rude Potty I was just wondering if more Death Eaters had finished what they started last night."

"Ignore him Harry, he's too stupid to see whats really going on." Hermione sniffed.

"You Gryffindor's think you're so smart and so brave. You're just a bunch of fools."

"Just a bunch of fools in love I guess." Ron laughed as he slid into his seat taking Hermione's hand and kissing it.

"Thank you for saving me some breakfast Hermione."

"Don't tell me you are going out with the mudblood Weasley. I know your family is poor but for Merlin's sake man you come from almost as pure a bloodline as I do. Surely you can do better than that." Malfoy snarled.

Both Harry and Hermione tensed. Every other time Malfoy had called her a mudblood they ended up having to hold Ron back from breaking his neck.

Ron smiled at Malfoy for a second then turned to face Hermione. Putting his hand under her chin he lifted her face and kissed her. It was a long soft kiss and as it continued voices in the hall got quieter and quieter.

Finally Ron leaned back looking at Draco.

"No Malfoy I don't think I can do better than that, though if it's ok with Hermione I think we are going to try."

Hermione blushed and nodded her head slightly.

Malfoy turned to walk away until Ron called out to him as he stood in the middle of the Hall.

"Hey Malfoy your dad has pretty long blond hair just like you do doesn't he."

"Yes mudblood lover he does though I don't see what that has to do with you unless you are jealous."

"No Malfoy not jealous. I was just thinking that long pretty blond hair must make him awfully popular in prison."

The great hall erupted in laughter. Lee Jordan seemed to be choking on pumpkin juice.

Malfoy's face was contorted in rage. "Very soon Weasley it will be just you and me and we will finish this."

"I'm counting on it Malfoy. I haven't killed a Death Eater in days."

Malfoy's face lost all of it's color and he stalked out of the hall.

"Ronald Weasley I can't believe you just said that." Herminone said rounding on him.

"He's evil Ron and ruthless even if he is not very clever. I don't want you getting hurt."

"Herminone dearest as long as Malfoy is focused on me then Harry can get on with the things he is supposed to do. You are just going to have to trust that I can handle Malfoy."

Harry looked at Ron and sighed. "He's right Hermione it will help me not having to deal with Malfoy. Be careful mate he is dangerous."

"No worries mate, when am I ever not careful." he said flashing a grin at both of them.

Harry looked at Hermione and they both rolled their eyes.

At that moment their schedules arrive on the table.

"Hey I wonder what I have today. I never got to see my O.W.L.S." Ron laughed again.

Hermione looked at Harry and Harry spoke up.

"Ron you did pretty well on your O.W.L.S. but you didn't get a O in potions though."

"Well I guess I won't be an Auror then. Bloody Hell I have Double Divination first thing. How did I get an O.W.L. in that? We made everything up."

Harry laughed "I know mate I was making it up with you but I got a P in Divination and you got an O."

Lavender spoke up from a bit down the table. "So you're the Divination boy. Congratulations."

Ron frowned "The Divination boy? What are you talking about?"

"Parvati and I talked to Professor Trelanwey last night and she said that only one boy had done well enough in Divination to continue so that has to be you."

Ron just looked at Harry and Hermione.

"I don't think this is going to be a good day." he sighed.

"At least you don't have double Potions like Hermione and I do." Harry smirked.

"Well what do you have after lunch?" Hermione asked hoping to cheer him up.

"I have double Directed studies. What the bloody hell is Directed studies?"

Hermione looked at him and put a hand on his arm.

"Language right?" he smiled.

She nodded.

"Sorry about that."

"Hey Ron I have Directed studies this afternoon as well."

Ron looked up to see Neville talking to him.

"Well Neville it looks like you and me mate. Anybody else got Directed studies?"

Everyone else shook their heads no.

Ron looked over at Harry and Hermione "Well I guess this is the first day we don't have any classes' together." not looking them in the eyes.

"Oh Harry I forgot to tell you last night McGonagall wants to talk to us today after class about Quidditch."

"Good I was wondering when we would find out who the captain is."

"Harry it's got to be you. You've been playing since our first year."

"Well we'll see Ron."

Lavender walked up to Ron "We are leaving for class now. Would you like to walk with us?"

"Yeah that would be great Lavender, thanks."

Ron leaned over and kissed Hermione on the top of the head. "Have a wonderful day cutie."

"Good luck in Potions mate. Hex Snape for me."

Hermione frowned and Harry laughed.

Ron joined Lavender and Parvati. "Ok ladies lead the way. Oh wait I'm having a vision. I foresee four hours of boredom."

Both Lavender and Parvati laughed and Lavender swatted him playfully on the arm.

"I don't like this at all, Harry."

"Are you jealous Hermione?" Harry asked incredulously.

Hermione looked at him "I guess maybe a little."

"You know Ron is crazy about you right?"

"Yeah I do now." she smiled.

"Then stop worrying. We need to get to Potions before we get there late and Snape takes two hundred points form Gryffindor."


	15. Certain Truths

Ron and Neville burst through the portrait door into the Gryffindor common room.

"That was bloody brilliant Neville" Ron laughed.

"Yeah it was, though I wish I had done better."

"You'll pick it up in time Neville. You got better as class went by anyway."

Harry walked over to the two of them.

"So what so great you guys?"

Ron looked at him "Let's go up to the dorm and we'll tell you. I need to change before we go see Professor McGonagall anyway."

They ran up the stairs and locked the door behind them.

"Well Directed studies is supposed to be a way for us to make up for some things we fell behind on like potions. We spend half our time working on potions and stuff like that but we spend the rest of the time dueling." Ron gushed. "So far only Neville and I are in the class. For some reason they think we are both in immediate danger."

"They let you guys duel? Who is teaching the class?"

"That's the best part it's members of the Order. Moody taught today but it's going to rotate. From what I understand Tonks, Lupin, Moody and McGonagall will be teaching. Moody said that if we can pass the potion N.E.W.T.'s we can still be Auror's."

Harry looked at Neville "You want to be an Auror Neville?"

"Yeah Harry, ever since I found out what happened to my parents but until you guys started helping me I never thought I could do it."

"Well Neville you were a big help to us in the Department of Mysteries. Your parents would be proud."

Neville got a bit misty eyed and just nodded.

"Your parents are proud of you too Harry. I know they told me." Ron said softly

Ron pulled off his shirt looking for a clean one and Harry saw his torso had multiple bruises.

"Ron mate what happened to you?"

Ron looked down "Well Moody plays rough sometimes." grinning.

Ron slipped on a different shirt. "Neville will you do me a favor?"

"Sure mate if I can."

"Well I think you can and will enjoy this one. Can you tell Luna we are all going on a little trip Saturday morning? We will meet by the Quidditch pitch. I want to show you guys something. Oh yeah if she can't fly you might have to share your broom with her. Is that alright?"

Neville blushed "Yeah I can do that."

"Ready Harry?"

"Yeah lets go talk Quidditch."

"Professor you wanted to see us?" Harry asked sticking his head into Professor McGonagall's office.

"Yes come inside boys and have a seat. Please close the door behind you."

"I asked you both to come here so I could let you know who I have decided to make the Grffindor Quidditch Captain. While I think both of you would do an excellent job I had to pick one of you to fill the position."

She pulled open a drawer in her desk and pulled out the Captains badge.

"Congratulations Mr. Potter I know you will make all of Gryffindor proud."

"Well done Harry." Ron laughed shaking his hand. "I knew it would be you."

"Thanks mate. I hope I do a good job."

"I meant what I said Mr. Weasley. It took me a long time to decide and frankly the deciding factor was Harry's experience."

"Of course Professor, Harry is the best choice."

Professor McGonagall listened for any signs of jealousy or resentment in Ron's voice but thankfully didn't find any.

"Now I suggest both of you go to your common rooms and review your notes from last year for tomorrows Transfiguration class."

"Yes Professor" Harry grinned.

Ron stood up "Come on Captain we need to get to work."

They arrived back at the common room to find Ginny and Hermione waiting for them. Ginny instantly noticed the badge in Harry's hand.

"Congratulations Harry I know we will win the house cup this year with you in charge.

Harry blushed "Thanks Ginny so what do you guys think?" as he held the badge up to his shoulder.

"I think it suits you mate."

"It looks perfect Harry." Hermione smiled "though if the truth be told I sort of have a thing for Keepers myself."

Ginny snorted "Maybe one great big git of a keeper."

Ron shot Ginny a fake hurt look "Oh to be maligned by my own sister."

"Anyway what's the deal about Saturday?" Neville told us what he had to tell Luna.

"Well Ginny I want to show you guys something but we are going to have to fly a bit to get there."

Hermione got pale "Fly?"

"Yes Hermione we will have to fly but I promise it will be worth it."

"But ..but I can't fly."

"Well then you will just have to ride on my broom with me." he said softly.

"I'm afraid of heights Ron."

"I know Mione but I swear I will never let you fall, never."

The next day Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville were walking down to the hall to their first Defense against the Dark Arts class and talking about what the class might be like.

"Well they have to prepare us for N.E.W.T.'s so I bet it's going to get a bit harder." Hermione guessed.

They got inside and found seats. The class was somewhat larger than their other classes and a good many of the students were from the DA Harry noted with a good bit of pride.

Professor Leonidas walked into the class room and up on the elevated platform that stood towards the back.

"Good morning students, I have reviewed your backgrounds and I can see that you have had a through grounding in fighting basic magical creatures. Now we are going to focus on fighting the most dangerous users of the dark arts, your fellow man. You will be assigned an opponent who you will fight every week. As you fight each other you will learn each others strengths and weaknesses. This will make it harder for you to defeat each other. So you in turn will have to try harder."

"I must stress that these will be real fights and you will be graded on the outcome. The only spells you may not use are the Unforgivables. Other than those you may use any and all spells and I encourage you to learn spells outside of what you will learn in class."

"The pairings have been chosen at random. I have placed all of your names into the hat and the hat has paired them based on skill level. These pairing will be for the entire year though there will be times when you are allowed to duel other class members."

"Since there is no time like the present I am pleased to announce the first pair of combatants is Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter."


	16. Potter vs Weasley

Potter vs. Weasley

The Gryffindor common room was abuzz with chatter. Small groups of two or three debating the pros and cons of the first Friday duels in the sixth year Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. So much so that Hermione was getting sick of being asked who she thought would win.

_If those boys don't hurry up they will miss breakfast._

Just then Harry and Ron came into the common room laughing.

"Good morning Hermione."

"Good Morning Harry."

Ron moved behind Hermione as she sat on the couch and gave her a soft kiss on the base of her neck.

"Good morning my lady fair." Ron smiled.

"Don't you lady fair me. We've almost missed breakfast." She said in a harsh tone that couldn't mask the smile on her face.

Ron forced a fake hurt look on his face. "I would have been here sooner but the mighty boy who lived was regaling me with how he is going to destroy me this morning in class."

Harry laughed as they headed to the portrait door.

"You two should not laugh about that, you guys could really get hurt today." She said worriedly."

"There is no way that someone so sad as to have a stag as a Patronus could possibly defeat."

"Well I would make fun of your Patronus Ron if you had one." Harry smirked.

Ron acted like he had been shot in the chest with a spell and fell to the floor.

Hermione and Harry laughed and helped him to his feet. Then the three of them went into the Hall to grab a quick bite to eat.

As they began to eat Lavender walked up to them and sat down.

"Ron a bunch of us in Divination are going to get together this weekend and study, are you up for that?"

"Well if it's Sunday I will be. My Saturday is completely full."

Lavender stood back up "Ok then I'll make it for Sunday afternoon."

"Sounds good Lavender just let me know the details."

He started eating again but he could feel Hermione looking at him.

"Is there anything wrong Hermione?"

"I don't like the way Lavender looks at you." she said frowning.

Ron saw Harry begin to smile and looked away before he started laughing.

"Whats important is if you like the way I look at you Hermione."

Hermione blushed but nodded.

"So if you like it then what other people think or do doesn't matter now does it?"

"I guess your right Ron. It just seems like a lot of people don't seem to believe that I am really your girl friend."

"Why on earth would you say that Hermione?" Ron asked looking at Harry who just shrugged.

"I..well...I heard some girls talking about it in the restroom and how you could do so much better than me with my bushy hair and my always studying. They were also saying I couldn't possibly be any fun and that you would soon get tired of me and a few of them intended to be there when you did."

Ron thought she was going to start crying any second and Harry was looking angrier by the second.

"Well then I guess I'll just have to fix that then won't I?"

Ron pushed his chair back and jumped up onto the table they had been eating at.

"Can I have everyone's attention please." he called loudly.

All of the students in the Hall and the teachers as well turned to look at Ron.

"I just wanted to say that I have had the most wonderful and admittedly undeserved good fortune to fall madly in love with the most charming, beautiful, intelligent and kind hearted witch ever to attend Hogwarts and despite that intelligence she has somehow fallen in love with me. So for all of you blokes out there, who have for years loved a lady from afar, go tell her, you have nothing to lose but your heart."

"Now I would like to introduce my love to all of you."

Ron reached down and offered his hand to Hermione who blushingly took it. He lifted her onto the table.

"For the few of you who have not had the pleasure of meeting her I would like you to meet Hermione Granger."

The Hall erupted in clapping as Ron wrapped his arm around her and bent down to slowly kiss here only breaking the kiss to catch her bottom lip between his teeth and nibble for just a second.

Straightening up he looked at her face glad to see that her smile had returned.

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger if you are finished you might want to get down from the table top." Professor McGonagall noted.

Ron held Hermione's hand steady as she jumped down then he jumped after her.

"So Professor McGonagall how shall we spend the evening tonight?" Ron asked

"This evening Mr. Weasley?" she looked sharply.

"Yes Professor, I can only assume I will be joining you in detention." he laughed.

Minerva McGonagall lips twitched as she fought and then failed to keep from laughing.

"Mr. Weasley you remind me of Sirius Black more and more every day. Well with the exception of Sirius never found a young lady who could temper his more exuberant outbursts the way you have."

Harry stood up laughing "Come on Padfoot lets get to class."

Ron looked at Harry for a second "So it's Padfoot and Prongs back again eh?"

The students were talking among themselves when Professor Leonidas walked in.

"Well class I take it you are all looking forward to today's dueling?"

Most of the heads were nodding though a few of them seemed a bit apprehensive.

"I hadn't decided which pair would duel first so I thought I would let the students choose. So this morning I spied on you while you were at breakfast and it seemed to me that everyone was talking about the Potter-Weasley match."

At that Ron and Harry looked at each other and shrugged.

"If you two would be so kind as to join me here on the stage. Also fifteen points to Gryffindor for Mr. Weasley's umm speech at breakfast. A good duelist must take chances and I like to reward such."

Hermione smiled at the memory and most of the people around her were shocked that she was not blushing.

Harry and Ron had made it onto the stage by then and had taken the marked positions.

"Gentlemen when I say begin. You will attempt to defeat the other. I will judge the winner and if at anytime I say the word HOLD you must stop fighting and lower your wands. Do you understand?"

Both Harry and Ron nodded that they did.

"Very good then begin."

Harry quickly shouted "Expelliarmus." hoping to end the fight quickly. Ron however had dove to the right as soon as he heard begin and Harry's spell glanced off the wall. Ron propped up on his elbow yelling "Stupefy" and then rolled to left before he even saw if his spell hit.

"Protego" Harry blurted out and barely caught Ron's spell with his shielding. Trying to follow Ron's rolling he screamed "Impedimentia"

Ron had just stopped rolling and jumped to his feet when Harry's spell came at him. He jumped back as the spell hit just in front of him.

Running to his left Ron called out "Stupefy" three times quickly in a row.

Harry blocked all three but was unable to cast a spell at Ron for a bit as he had to concentrate on blocking.

Ron continued running to the left then quickly changed directions and moved to the right causing Harry's next spell to miss. Meanwhile Ron had been waiting for Harry to cast, as soon as Harry cast his spell Ron cast "Stupefy" hoping he was fast enough to prevent Harry from blocking it.

Ron's spell hit Harry and slammed him back against the wall he quickly got to his feet though and the duel continued.

_Ron really hurt me with that one. I better think of something quick._

Both duelists were starting to tire quickly and it was showing. At that Harry screamed "Stupefy at the exact same moment Rom yelled "Expelliarmus".

Harry's wand was torn from his hand while Ron was thrown back against the far wall with a crunch.

"Hold" Professor Leonidas shouted

"Potter you are the winner of this match and if I may say so it was a damn fine duel."

Professor Leonidas quickly walked over to where Ron was laying and examined him.

"He's ok he just has a broken bone or two. It looks like you both need to go to the hospital wing for a bit."

"I'm fine Professor." Harry lied.

"You're not fooling me Potter. Weasley almost put you out earlier. You have a separated shoulder and a couple of broken ribs I bet."

Professor Leonidas revived Ron and helped him to his feet.

"Very impressive Mr. Weasley."

Ron laughed weakly "I don't feel very impressive."

"Nonsense Mr. Weasley every duel you walk away from is a good duel." he laughed.

"Now the two of you get to the hospital wing. Bones-Smith get up here."


	17. The Way Things Should Be

The Way Things Should Be.

"Ron are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Yes Hermione and you will see that it is when we get where we are going."

Ron turned to face all of them.

"Ok I know it is four o'clock in the morning and we are all a bit sleepy but you guys are going to have to pay attention and keep up with me."

"Luna you are going to share Neville's broom and Hermione is going to share with me."

"Ok everybody get on your brooms and lets get going."

Hermione got on Ron's broom behind him and grabbed him tightly around the waist.

As soon as she was on Ron took off with the other right behind him. It was soon obvious to the others that they were heading to the mountains just north of Hogwarts. Ron noticed that Hermione had her face buried in his cloak.

"Hermione if you have your eyes covered you can't see it's a beautiful night."

"But we are so high." She stammered.

"Ok then don't look down just look up."

Hermione looked up and gasped. The stars were so bright and they looked huge.

"It's just amazing Ron."

"Yeah I never get tired of it."

They flew for about twenty-five minutes before Ron dove down into a valley and then started to hover.

"Ok you are going to have to follow me close. There is one small pass we are going through and it's the only way to get where we are going."

Everyone nodded and they took off again. Ron had been telling the truth, the pass was very small and Hermione got a bit scared at how close they came to the mountain. They made it through however and the sight that greeted her took her breath away. The mountains surrounded a good sized lake that seemed to be made of moonlight and in the center of the lake there was a large island with a rocky outcropping.

Ron headed towards the outcropping and landed there as did the other.

"Ron this is beautiful. How did you find it?" Ginny asked.

"Well do you guys remember the night of the first Quidditch game last year when I came back so late?"

Everybody but Luna nodded.

"Well I felt so bad about letting everybody down that I just got on my broom and flew because I didn't want to have to face everybody in the common room."

The look on his face was so crestfallen that Hermione reached out and grabbed his hand.

"Well I ended up here and after that I used to come out here when I started to get upset or angry that I couldn't tell Hermione what I was thinking.

"Ron this is very nice and I'm glad I came but why did we have to come so early?" Harry asked.

"Just watch right down there mate and you'll see for yourself ."

They all sat quietly for a good while. Ron had his arms wrapped around wrapped around Hermione and as he looked around he noticed that Harry had his arms around Ginny and Neville was holding Luna as well.

_Good for you Neville it's about time you had somebody appreciate you. _

Then down below them Ron saw a silver cloud moving through the trees.

"Ron, I think I see something." Hermione whispered.

"I see it too." Neville whispered.

"There is more than one I think." Harry added.

"What are they?" Ginny asked turning towards Ron.

"You'll see in just a minute Ginny."

Very soon it was easy to see that they were Unicorns, five of them in fact along with a foal.

"They are beautiful. I know we have seen them before but they are even more beautiful like this." Hermione whispered.

Ron looked around at all of them. "Hermione I think you, Ginny and Luna should walk down that path there. Remember what Hagrid said "they are afraid of men but they are ok with human women. Who knows they might even let you ride them."

Ginny, Luna and Hermione slowly walked down a short pathway to where the Unicorns had started grazing. To their surprise three of the Unicorns knelt down to allow the girls to climb on their backs and soon the girls were riding like silver angels through the forest.

Ron turned to Harry "How are you feeling mate? I'm still a bit sore from yesterday."

"I feel fine except for my shoulder but then you got hit a bit harder than I did." Harry smirked just a bit.

"Well maybe that will get you back for that spell you hit me with on Thursday Ron." laughed Neville.

Ron looked at Neville. Neville had never to Ron's knowledge bantered back with either himself or Harry and Ron had to admit it was nice having Neville around.

After about a half an hour the girls returned and all of the Unicorns headed back into the forest.

Ginny came running up first "That has to have been the greatest thing I have ever done. I owe you big Ron."

"Yes Ronald not even my father will believe I rode a Unicorn." Luna smiled.

Hermione never said a word, she just ran up to Ron wrapped her arms around him and kissed him with a passion that left both of them breathless.

"Hermione please, that is my brother you are mauling." Ginny teased.

Hermione looked up and then with a smile nestled her head against Ron's shoulder.

They sat in silence enjoying the view and each others company. Finally it was Neville of all people who spoke up.

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could just stay here?" he said with a sigh.

"Well I think so but Hermione would go crazy without any homework to do." Ron smirked.

Hermione faked an indignant look "I'll have you know that I don't just think about home work. This place is perfect. It's just like a dream."

"No this place is the way things should be." Harry sighed.


	18. Dumbledore's Office

Detention

Ron walked wearily into the Gryffindor common room. Seeing both Harry and Hermione sitting next to the fire he walked that way and flopped down on a couch.

Harry looked up from his studies. "You ok mate?"

"Yeah Harry I'm just tired. These last couple of weeks have been a bit rough. Directed studies is hard and every Friday I keep getting beaten by some short guy with a weird scar."

"Well that short guy is awfully good looking as well." Harry smirked.

Both of them broke up in laughter then Harry got serious again.

"Your still not sleeping well though are you?"

Not really though it is getting better."

Hermione seemed to take notice at that. She carefully book marked the page in her book and turned to Ron.

"You've been pushing yourself to hard. Since tomorrow is Saturday why don't we go have a picnic while the weather is still nice?"

Both Harry and Ron looked at Hermione.

"Harry did Hermione just tell me I was working to hard?"

"It sounded like it but Hermione would never say that."

Hermione just huffed and they both started laughing again.

"That sounds wonderful Miss Granger." Ron said formally. "Though I can't help but wonder if it's an excuse to be alone with me."

"Well Ron I was thinking we could invite Harry and Ginny along with Neville and Luna. Though I do believe some quality alone time would be in order." as she said that Hermione smiled at Ron like he was the only one in the room and Harry blushed for him.

"Hermione Granger have I told you how wonderful you are?"

"Not for several hours at least Mr. Weasley" she said smiling. "We should all go down to dinner."

"I'll catch up with you guys in a second." Ron called "I have to go up to the dorms for a bit."

"I can't believe how hungry I am." Hermione laughed as they sat down to dinner.

"It must be my older brothers influence."

"Now Ginny be nice or I will have to ask where you and Harry went last night after dinner."

"Don't let Ron hear you say that Hermione. Speaking of which where is Ron? I would have figured he would have beaten us all here."

Harry spoke up "He had to go put some of that healing salve on before he came down. He's banged up pretty badly.

"Well Harry maybe you shouldn't be so hard on him during your duels."

"Hard on him Ginny? Last week he almost broke my neck. Besides it's not me that's doing the damage. It's all the fighting he does in Directed studies."

All three of them looked at Neville.

"Harry's right that class is pretty rough and Ron fights harder than I do."

Neville looked at them then down at the table. "I thought Moody had killed him yesterday."

Ron walked up behind Neville. "Aren't you being just a bit dramatic Neville?"

"Well maybe Ron." Neville said doubtfully.

"When we get back to the common room I'm going to take a look at those bruises and I don't want to hear any arguments Ron."

"Why Hermione you know I'll take my shirt off for you any time you like." he said grinning from ear to ear.

At that point Hermione stood up and pointed at him "Just because you can be utterly charming sometimes does not mean you can make me forget about this."

Ron looked through chastised "Ok Hermione."

"Ron you sound just like dad does when mum is reading him the riot act." Ginny giggled.

Hermione flushed bright pink at that and sat back down.

"Well mudblood I see Weasley hasn't dumped you yet."

Hermione stood up "Well I'm glad we had already finished eating. It seems someone spilled a load of trash here and covered it up with Slytherin robes."

When Hermione turned to leave Malfoy reached out and grabbed her shoulder spinning her back to face him.

"The time is coming mudblood when all your cleverness won't sav......"

Malfoy never got to finish his sentence as Ron's fist connected with Malfoy's nose sending a bright spray of blood everywhere. Malfoy fell backwards and Ron followed him to the floor. After several more punches to Malfoy's face Ron lifted his head by his hair and leaned down into his face.

"If you ever hurt her again it will be the last thing you ever do you stinking Death Eater.'

Ron then let his head fall back to the floor. He stood up and looked at Crabbe and Goyle who had just arrived from the Slytherin table.

"Either two of you idiots feel like being taught a lesson as well?"

Just then Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape reached them.

Professor McGonagall spoke first "What are you doing Mr. Weasley? Have you lost your mind?"

Ron turned to look at her "Malfoy hurt Hermione and I was teaching him the error of his ways."

"How noble" Snape sneered "however I guess you forgot that at Hogwarts the teachers are the ones who hand out punishments."

"From where I am standing Professor the teachers, at least some of them have been doing a right poor job of watching Malfoy and I'm sick and tired of him hurting people." Ron sneered right back.

"Mr Weasley you will speak to Professor Snape in a respectful and proper manner."

"With all the respect in the world to you Professor McGonagall I believe I am doing just that."

"Just like Gyffindors so arrogant and self centered, I trust you will see to his punishment Minerva?"

"Yes Professor Snape I will indeed. Crabbe, you and Goyle take Mr. Malfoy to the hospital wing Weasley follow me."

Ron followed Professor McGonagall out of the hall as the rest of Gryffindor just stared at them.

They paused at the door to the Headmasters office "Wait right here Weasley and try not to hit anything."

Professor Dumbledore looked up "You need to speak with me Minerva?"

"Yes Professor I'm sorry to disturb you but there has been a fight."

Dumbledore sighed and took off his glasses." I see, who were the students involved?"

"Ronald Weasley and Draco Malfoy."

"I take it you have Mr. Weasley with you? Well both of you come in and have a seat. Also please close the door behind you."

'Well Mr. Weasley why don't you tell me what happened?"

Ron explained what happened at dinner trying to be as honest as possible and not letting himself get angry again.

"So you thought the best answer to Hermione getting hurt was to hurt Malfoy?"

"Well Professor so far nothing anyone else has done has stopped him." Ron said looking Dumbledore in the eye.

"You hold the staff here responsible do you?" Dumbledore said softly.

"Your damn right I do. Malfoy and his two thugs torment people and when someone finally stands up to them they get punished worse than the people who started it in the first place. That's not all either, Snape hides half the things Malfoy does from the rest of you amd we get punished for that as well. I mean what kind of school thinks its ok for a Professor like Snape to harass students unfairly? Not to mention how horribly he treats Harry just because he didn't get along with Harry's dad before we were even born."

Ron had jumped out of his chair and started to pace back and forth like he always did when he was very angry or upset.

'We are always told that we should let the teachers handle things but when we do nothing ever changes. It's like you all think its ok for us to be Malfoys punching bags. Well maybe you think that's ok but I don't and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure it stops. You people never tell us anything but I know what's going on. It's getting dark out there by the day, I can feel it. How can we fight back if you don't tell us anything? How can I keep Harry and Hermione safe? How can I protect them if I don't know what's going on? How can I keep them safe from Death Eaters if I can't even deal with Malfoy?"

The last statement came out with a low growl and Ron just stopped and looked at Dumbledore.

"So you think you have to protect them Mr. Weasley?"

"Of course I do. Now I know the prophecy says Harry can kill Voldemort but it doesn't say anything him killing all of the Death Eaters does it? Well he can't do it alone. Look I've learned enough in Divination to know that there is a reason that the three of us are in this together. Harry is the only one who can kill Voldemort. Hermione maybe the only one smart enough to come up with the way to do it. I'm just here to make sure Harry gets the chance and I intend to do just that."

"Is that so Mr. Weasley? That would explain a great deal. Alastor has told me that he has never had a student train so hard as you have been training and professor Leonidas says you have been giving Harry a run for his money. Don't you think though that this is a rather large burden you have placed on yourself?"

"It's not a burden Professor. Having to deal with Snape and Malfoy is a burden. Being friends with Harry and Hermione is an honor, one I intend on being worthy of."

"Well Mr. Weasley you know very well I can't have you punching Mr. Malfoy in the Great Hall so what do you think I should do?"

"How about you keep Malfoy in line?"

"That Mr. Weasley is easier said than done. As headmaster I must have indisputable proof before I can punish students and Mr. Malfoy has been very discrete about his transgressions."

"Unlike a certain Gryffindor I might add." Professor McGonagall spoke up.

"Professor Dumbledore are you saying I just need to be more careful about being caught?" Ron asked looking confused.

"I will leave that up to your interpretation Mr. Weasley."

"Now for your punishment, I believe a very long detention should be in order. It is my understanding that Minerva was already to start on a new project that might help you transfer your aggressions into something more constructive. With that in mind I believe a three month detention is in order."

"Three months." Ron said stunned.

"Now if you will excuse me I have more than enough work to do."

"umm Professor...."

"Yes Mr. Weasley?"

"Sorry about my language earlier."

Dumbledore smiled "I see Miss Granger is having some effect on you after all. Good night Mr. Weasley."

"Good night Professor."

Professor McGonagall led Ron out of Dumbledore's office.

"Mr. Weasley you will be serving your detentions with me and you will be working very hard. We will meet for one hour every night after dinner Monday through Saturday. So make sure Quidditch practice is before dinner."

"Professor if you don't mind my asking what can I possibly do in detention for three months."

"Tell me Mr. Weasley if you could have any magical power what would it be?"

"I would like to be an Animagus." Ron replied without thinking.

"Why is that Mr. Weasley?"

'Well two reasons really. The first is I would like to do something that none of my friends or family have done. Don't get me wrong it's not a jealousy thing. It's just that it would be nice to do something that's really hard to do on my own."

"and the second Mr. Weasley?"

"Well I used to talk to Sirius back at HQ a lot when Harry wasn't there and Sirius said that when he changed forms it was a great way to get away from all the rubbish life throws at you. He said running along in dog form was the best way to really think about things and figure out what was really important. Sometime I think that would be really nice."

Well Mr. Weasley there are no guarantees but if you work hard you will get your chance. Now get back to your common room and remember you start your detention monday night."

"Yeah Professor" he smiled "have a very good night Professor."

"You do the same Mr. Weasley and stay away from Mr. Malfoy."


	19. Saying your sorry

Saying your sorry

Ron reached the portrait door and stopped for a moment.

_Boy Hermione is going to be mad. Why do I have to keep losing my temper?_

Violet looked at him waiting for the password.

"Quidditch practice"

The door opened and he headed into the Gryffindor common room.

The room erupted in noise as soon as everyone saw it was him.

"That was bloody brilliant Ron." Seamus shouted.

People started walking up to him and clapping him on the back. Ron however never slowed down and walked over to Hermione's normal spot and stood right in front of her.

"Hermione I'm very sorry I didn't let you handle that situation with Malfoy." He said looking right at her.

Hermione lowered her book and patted the couch next to her indicating Ron should sit down.

Ron sat down and waited for her to start.

"Ron you should have let me deal with Malfoy but I understand you feel like you need to look out for Harry and I. I'm just going to have to learn what it's like to have someone want to stick up for you."

She leaned over and wrapped him in a hug whispering "It does feel nice to see that you care. You're my very own Gryffindor Knight."

At that Ron blushed wildly and Harry took note.

"I don't know what she just said to you Ron but I wish someone would say it to me." He snickered.

"Well then Harry all you have to do is flatten Malfoy and I'll see what I can do." Ginny giggled.

Ginny turned to Ron. "So what punishment did you get? Detention?"

"Yeah I got detention."

"For how long my unlucky brother?"

Ron paused for a moment "Thee months."

Silence enveloped the entire common room.

Then Ginny started laughing "Three months, that's great. Fred and George are go to go crazy with envy."

"Why is that my mental little sister?"

"Ron have you not been paying attention all these years? The old record for detention was eight weeks which you have just blown away and the holders of the old record were Fred and George."

"In fairness Ginny there was a lot that I missed over the past few years." looking at Hermione.

Ginny jumped up "I'm going to go owl them right now."

They all laughed with Harry finally saying "that girl has a mean streak. I guess that's why I love her."

Both Ron and Hermione looked at him.

"Harry mate do you know what you just said?"

Harry blushed "Well yeah I do. Now don't get mad Ron."

"I'm not mad Harry, I know you'll be good to my sister."

"If I hadn't seen you pound Malfoy I would ask where the famous Weasley temper has gone lately."

"Well to be honest Harry it seems like I only get mad around Malfoy though I guess I still have to work on keeping control around him."

"They put up the flyers for the first Hogsmeade trip while you were in Dumbledore's office. It's the week before Halloween."

"I've really been looking forward to that. Hermione will you go to Hogsmeade with me please?"

"Ron I'm your girlfriend you don't have to ask me."

"Oh yes I do, now that I have you I'm not going to lose you by taking you for granted."

Hermione got up and sat in his lap and kissed him for a long moment.

"Could you guys not do that in front of me please?"

Hermione stopped kissing him and turned to stick her tongue out at Harry.

Harry looked at Hermione and laughing said "not after Ron I won't."

Hermione blushed furiously.

"Ron I have something to ask you." she stuttered.

Harry started to smile.

"Well what is it cutie?"

"The Muggle studies classes are having a party on Halloween and I was wondering if you would come with me."

"Well of course I will Hermione."

"Before you say yes you need to know it's a costume party."

Ron's face fell but he quickly recovered. "Well since it's for the Muggle Studies class on Halloween I guess it would be wouldn't it."

"So you go then?" she said softly.

"Of course I will! I'd do anything to make you happy. In fact I already know what costume I'm going to wear."

Hermione smiled and kissed him again.

Ginny's voice broke through their revery "I didn't know they made a git costume Ron."

Harry started laughing until Ron spoke up "Ginny your still in Muggle Studies aren't you?"

"yes I am Ron."

"So Harry will be at the party as well then."

"He will be if he knows what's good for him." Ginny said looking right at Harry.

Harry gulped. "So Ron you got any ideas for a costume for me?"

Hermione stood up "Ron we need to patrol the halls for a bit then I'm going to bed to get some rest for tomorrow's picnic."

Ron stood smiling as well. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather patrol the bed and then go to the halls to get some rest for the picnic?"

As soon as he said it he blushed "I didn't mean I wanted to well ummmm you ..know."

Hermione just kept on blushing getting more and more red by the second.

Harry and Ginny were leaning on each other and laughing. Well Harry was really howling rather than laughing. Ginny on the other hand had crammed her fist into her mouth to keep from screaming with laughter. Soon both of them were as red as Hermione.

Just as it seemed it couldn't get anymore uncomfortable for the two of them Hermione grinned.

'Well your not going to find out either way if you just stand there Ron."

Harry and Ginny went from rolling with laughter to shock.

Ron though just laughed "Well I guess I better get moving them."


	20. Seriously sad

Seriously sad

_I do not want to be here._

Ron looked around the office and frowned. Harry had his eyes closed and was resting his head on Ginny's shoulder. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were whispering softly with Tonks and Lupin. Hermione had not let go of Ron's hand since they arrived. Professor Dumbledore seemed lost in his own thoughts.

Ron let his mind wander back to four days before. Hermione had packed the best picnic ever and the weather was wonderful. All of them had gone flying and then gone down to the lake to eat. After lunch they had all gotten quiet for a while, just content to be happy and together. Neville and Luna were whispering to each other and giggling thinking no one could hear them. Ginny and Harry were lying in their backs holding hands and Ron had his head in Hermione's lap while she played with his hair.

Then the owls had arrived and disrupted everything.

Ronald Weasley

Hogwarts School

Dear Mr. Weasley,

We request your presence for the presentation of the last Will and testament of Mr. Sirius Black this Wednesday at three o'clock. Be advised you have been named in the will.

Yours sincerely,

Binder, Brimstone and Grendel

_So Now I'm here to find out what I may or may not have gotten from someone I wish was still alive._

A smiling portly man walked into the office carrying what looked for all the world like a portrait covered with cloth.

"Good afternoon I am Horatio Binder and it is my sad duty to inform you of the contents of this will regarding the late Mr. Black.

_I have a very bad feeling about this._

Mr. Binder hung the portrait up and removed the cloth.

Sirius's face looked back at them out of the portrait.

_Yep I was right._

"Hello all of you, I guess since I'm seeing you all for the first time I must have died. I would like to tell all of you now how much you have meant to me."

"Harry my Godson, when I first met you it was like James had returned and I had gotten my best friend back. As I got to know you however it became clear you were going to be your own man. To be sure you have many traits that are like your fathers but you have grown into a fine young man. A young man your mother and father would be very proud of today. You have been given a terrible burden and have handled it with courage and determination. Remember I love you dearly and though you are sad now we will see each other again and then you and I and your parents and all the others we love will be together again."

At that Harry began to cry and both Hermione and Ginny went and wrapped him up in their arms.

"Arthur and Molly, long have you been among my favorite people. Even when we argued Molly, I never questioned your reasons for doing so. You took Harry to heart and guarded him as fiercely as your other sons. For that I can never thank you enough. Both of you have fought the good fight never surrendering to despair and always looking forward to the next day with hope and devotion. Guided by your shinning examples your children reflect those qualities in abundance. Though you were never burdened by a surfeit of money you were indeed the most blessed of families and it is my fervent hope that it continues to be so."

"Nymphadora, you have brought honor back to a family that had long since traded it for hatred and loathing. I will greatly miss you my dearest cousin. I want to ask one final thing of you if I may. Help Moony out, he was never any good at handling loss and I have seen him smile at you enough to know he is fond of you even if he is too stubborn to admit it."

Tonks laughed and looked over at Lupin smiling.

"Moony don't be mad, I said that for your own good and you know it. I would like to say that you don't have to look out for anyone now but it's not true. Please look out for Harry and help Arthur and Molly. Be happy, live life and hex Snape for me. No don't hex Snape, find out something he likes and buy it for him. The time for old grudges is long past now."

"Albus I know you are in the habit of dispensing advice but I hope you will listen to a little right now. Life is short, eat more candy."

Despite the fact almost all of them were crying the room filled with laughter.

"I will do my very best old friend." Dumbledore replied.

"Hermione I came to know you while you stayed in my home. Your compassion for the magical creatures of the world was a refreshing change and a wonderful contrast to the bigotry of the rest of the Black family. I hope you keep up on your crusade. While I believe you are somewhat mistaken about the wishes of house elves there are many magical creatures that could greatly use your help. Speaking of those who might need some help, there is a certain redhead who truly wants to tell you something important if he hasn't already. He may not say what he's thinking well but believe me he means it with all of his heart."

'Ron, first of all I'm sorry if I spilled the beans in regards to Hermione but it needed to be said if you haven't already. I enjoyed all of our talks over wizard chess though I wish I had beaten you just once. I want to think you for introducing Harry to your family and making room for him. I know in a large family sometimes the youngest boy gets ignored a bit and I also know that it must seem unfair that Harry gets so much attention and sometimes people seem to not notice you are even there. Despite all that however you made room in your life and your family's for Harry and I cannot thank you enough. One thing I meant to say to you while we were playing chess but never got the chance was how the one thing I regret is not telling my first love how I felt. I spent the rest of my life looking for someone who I could love as well as her and never found it again. You and I are a great deal a like please don't make the same mistake."

"Ginny, you are a delightful young lady and I am better for having known you. Your attempts to keep me occupied were most appreciated. Please help Harry in the days to come. You more than anyone else can get him to open up and talk. Secondly with Fred and George having left Hogwarts the title of troublemaker has been vacated. I feel confident you can find a suitable replacement."

"Yeah I believe I can." Ginny smirked.

"Now as to the disposition of my assets."

"Firstly to Albus Dumbledore I leave a lifetime supply of candy which will be delivered every month."

"To Arthur and Molly Weasley I leave one hundred thousand Galleons and my property in Spain It is large enough for all the Weasley's and any Weasley's they may add by marriage. It has never before been filled with love to my knowledge and it does my heart good to think of you changing that."

"To Remus Lupin I leave one hundred thousand Galleons. Moony, now that you have money go with Tonks and buy yourself some new clothes. You might also want to take the lovely Tonks out to dinner. Enjoy the money my brother so you will have some new stories to tell me when you see me again."

"Ginny I leave you five thousand Galleons to make sure Hogwarts doesn't become too boring."

"To Hermione Granger I leave my shares in the Wizarding Wireless Network which I have placed in the S.PE.W. Foundation. The investment will produce a decent amount of income to fund whatever projects you believe will be in the best interests of magical creatures worldwide. A special emphasis on the rights of Werewolves might be in order as well."

"To Ronald Weasley I leave ten thousand Galleons and my old motorcycle. Use both of them to show your lady fair how much you care. Take care of my bike please. I couldn't give it to Harry because Lilly would kill me all over again if I did and I can't stand for it not to be used. Sorry Molly.

"To Harry Potter I leave all my remaining gold amounting to around three hundred and sixty thousand Galleons. I also leave you all of my other properties with the following exception. I leave my cottage in the village of Hogsmeade to both Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley to be owned jointly. I know you both are probably blushing now but trust me I have SEEN a time when you will have need of it."

"Harry don't be afraid to let your friends take care of you. They love you and before the war is over you may well see how much. Enjoy every moment you have with them."

"One more thing Harry, this portrait will be hung at number twelve as a resource. Do not confuse this portrait with the real Sirius Black. I am just a reflection of the real Sirius at the time it was done. Feel free to come to me if you need information but the best reflection of the real Sirius is in your own head."

Mr. Binder stood up "This closes the last Will and Testament of Sirius Black. Please follow me as there are some papers that need signing."


	21. Loosed

Loosed

"Noooooooo" Harry screamed as he sat up in bed.

His scar was throbbing in pain and he thought his head might split.

Dean and Seamus both jumped out of their beds and looked at Harry.

"You all right?" Dean asked.

"Yeah I'm ok now, just had another bad dream."

Dean and Seamus looked at each other and started to get dressed.

"Well it's almost time to get up anyway I guess I'll get dressed as well. Hey Ron get up."

Harry starred at Ron's bed but nothing happened.

"Come on mate let's go eat."

Harry got out of bed and opened the curtains on Ron's bed. It was empty and it was still made up.

"Did either of you guys see Ron come to bed?"

"Sorry Harry we both came up kind of early. Dinner didn't sit well with both of us."

Harry finished getting dressed and headed down to the common room hoping Hermione had seen him.

Lavender was just coming out of the girls dorm when he got down to the common room.

"Hey Lavender is Hermione still in her dorm?"

"Yeah Harry she is getting dressed now. Why do you ask?"

"Well Ron didn't come up to our dorm last night I don't think and I'm just a little worried."

"Hold on and I'll go get her."

A minute or so later both Hermione and Lavender came down together. Hermione seemed to have finished getting ready in a hurry and her hair was flying everywhere.

"Harry are you sure Ron didn't come back?"

"Well no Hermione I'm not sure but his bed is made up and he's not upstairs."

At that moment Colin Creevey spoke up "Harry, Ron's over here but he doesn't look good."

Harry ran over to the fireplace and Ron was lying in front of the fire wearing nothing but a pair of boxer shorts. Hermione and Lavender joined Harry in just a moment.

"I don't know Colin, I think he looks pretty good if you ask me." Lavender laughed.

Then she noticed the scratches.

Harry leaned over and shook Ron. "Ron wake up mate."

Ron sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes. "Is it breakfast time already?"

"Yeah mate it is. Why did you sleep down here?"

"Down here?" Bloody hell what am I doing in the common room in my boxers?"

"Ron you're bleeding." Hermione said softly. "Let me take a look at you."

"Me too." said Lavender.

"I don't need any help taking care of him Lavender." Hermione snapped.

"Relax Hermione everybody knows he's crazy about you but he is my friend too you know."

"Umm if it's ok with both of you I'm going to go take a shower and get dressed." Ron stammered.

"Ok Ron but you will have to hurry if you want to get breakfast." Harry chipped in still not sure what was happening. "Plus I need to talk to you guys about something. My scar hurt again last night."

Both Hermione and Ron looked at him.

'You ok mate?"

'Yeah I'm fine Ron what about you?"

Ron looked really confused for a moment. "To be honest I don't really know. I have no idea how I got here and I don't know where my clothes are."

"Your clothes are right here Ron." Lavender said pointing at a pile of clothes on one of the couches.

"Ok you guys go eat and I'll get cleaned up. Then I'll meet you in the hall for a few minutes.

"Ok Ron see you in a bit. Do you want me to fix you a plate?" Hermione called.

"No thanks cutie I'm not very hungry right now."

Hermione looked at Harry and shook her head. "This has been a very odd morning."

"It's going to get worse I bet too."

On the way to the Hall Harry told her he had another dream. "Voldemort was very happy about something and was saying that all of his followers would soon be joining him. It was very odd, maybe he is planning something big again."

"Harry you should tell Professor Dumbledore. In fact we both should go and we can tell him about what happened to Ron as well."

Harry stopped and turned to face her. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean Ron could just have been sleep walking and I'm sure he wouldn't want Dumbledore to know about his having trouble sleeping."

"Ok Hermione but don't say I didn't warn you."

'What do you mean Harry? It's not like Ron hasn't ever been mad at me before."

"Yeah that's true but he's never been as open as he has been lately either. He's gone out on a limb to let you know what he's feeling and I think he might get more than just mad if he thinks you have broken his confidence."

Hermione sighed "But I'm not going to break his confidence I'm just going to see if I can help."

"That's how you see it Hermione. He may see it differently."

"Well I'll think about it but we need to tell Dumbledore about your dream anyway."

'Yeah we can do it right after classes. Now let sit down and eat."

As they walked into the great hall they noticed people were talking loudly and many of the seemed to be upset. Spotting Luna they walked over to her.

"Hey Luna whats going on?" Harry asked.

"The Dementors broke all the Death Eaters out of Azkaban. Several guards died and everybody is worried."

They stood there discussing it for a few minutes when Ron came walking up.

'Whats everybody so lathered about?"

He turned pale as they told him then he started to go red.

"Do you mean to tell me the Ministry can't even keep the damn Death Eaters in the prison? I can not believe they let them get away."

"Ron several guards died in the attack." Luna said softly.

'How many Death Eaters died?"

Luna looked at him for a second. "As far as I can tell none."

'Damn it, ok so it's pretty obvious there's no point in just capturing Death Eaters anymore."

"Ron what are you saying?" Hermione asked growing pale.

He grabbed up a copy of the Daily Prophet with the Death Eater pictures on it.

"What I'm saying is it's really war now and there only one way to deal with the Death Eaters."

He slammed the copy of the paper down and then drove a nearby knife through the picture of Rudolphus Lestrange and stormed off.


	22. Hogsmeade

Hogsmeade

'If Ron is late I'm going to kill him." Hermione fumed.

"No your not Hermione" Ginny smirked. "He will give you one of those lopsided grins and you will forgive him on the spot."

"Maybe so but he doesn't have to know that."

"Ok ladies shall we go?" they heard Harry say.

They turned to see Harry and Ron walking up to them.

"Oh Ron you look terrible." Hermione blurted.

'Hmmm I spent a lot of time trying to match my shirt and pants, sorry."

Hermione walked up to him and ran her hand down his face "No silly I mean you look like your still not sleeping."

"It's getting better, it really is."

"Ron we don't have to spend a lot of time in Hogsmeade. We could just do our prefect duties and then come back to the castle so we can rest."

"Oh no we can't, I have a surprise for you in Hogsmeade. In fact I have already been there once today."

"Ron you know I hate surprises." Hermione smiled.

"No you don't Hermione, you love it when my big brother surprises you." Ginny taunted.

They started off walking to Hogsmeade leading the third years along.

"Ginny if you don't stop acting like a prat I'm not going to let you see our house."

Hermione looked concerned "Our house...it sounds so...so...."

"So Right" Ron said only low enough so only the four of them heard it.

Hermione looked at him "I was worried that us having a house would freak you out."

Ron laughed "On the contrary Miss Granger it is a wonderful thing."

"At least you aren't calling her Mrs. Weasley yet" Ginny taunted.

Ron and Hermione just kept walking.

After a minute or so of silence Harry spoke up.

"So you are going to let us see the place today right?"

Ron looked back at him "Yep I have already been there today."

Hermione looked at him "You have?"

"Yeah well I only went into the kitchen. I wanted to see the rest of it with you."

Hermione smiled and reached for Ron's hand.

'So why did you want to go to the kitchen?"

'Well it's part of my surprise."

They arrived in Hogsmeade and showed the third years quickly around the village.

Then they followed Ron to the cottage.

As they walked up to the cottage Hermione started to cry. 'It's beautiful Ron."

"Yeah I have to agree."

It was a small cottage with a small flower garden out front and what looked like a small fenced in backyard.

When they got to the door Ron picked up Hermione and carried her inside. He sat her down in the living room and she looked up at him.

"Sorry if I surprised you, it just seemed right."

Harry and Ginny laughed.

"Hermione girl you have my great big brother wrapped around your little finger." Ginny laughed.

At that moment a small house elf popped into view.

"Greetings Master I mean Ron."

"Good morning Lolly. Lolly this is Hermione she will also live here. Hermione this is Lolly, our free house elf."

When Ron said free with a lot of emphasis Hermione began to smile.

"So Lolly we are paying you and you get time off and everything?"

"Yes mistress, Ron has explained everything and I am looking forward to serving you."

"Lolly please call me Hermione and thank you for becoming part of our household."

Lolly looked up "Ron everything is ready."

'Thank you Lolly. Lolly this is Harry and Ginny they are welcome here anytime they wish to visit."

Lolly looked at them and bowed a bit.

"Ok guys this way."

They followed Ron into the kitchen where a small meal and been set up.

"I just figured that as the new mistress of the house you might want to have a small celebration Hermione. Oh Neville and Luna should be joining us soon."

Hermione glowed and they all could tell she relished the part of lady of the house.

After they ate they looked around the rest of the house talking about how it was decorated and Hermione and Ginny discussed minor changes.

"So did anyone else notice that there is only one bedroom." Harry said innocently.

Both Ron and Hermione blushed and Ginny cackled.

"Well when we need to stay over I can sleep on the couch." Ron pointed out.

"I figured you would mate I was just teasing." Harry conceded.

"Harry when we get back to the castle I want to talk to you about something tonight if you have the time."

'Sure thing Ron everything ok?"

"Well I hope so but..."

At that moment Neville and Luna burst through the front door.

"Dementors in Hogsmeade and they are headed this way" Neville shouted.

"There are also some Death Eaters with them"Luna added.


	23. The Battle of Hogsmeade

The Battle of Hogsmeade.

Everyone just looked at Neville and Luna for a second and then everyone started talking at once.

"Where are they now?"

"How many of each?"

"Has anyone been hurt?"

"Harry do you feel Voldemort here?" Ron spoke up looking right at him.

"No I don't and my scar isn't hurting."

"Which way were the coming from Neville?"

"They were moving north through the middle of the village. They didn't seem to be in any hurry."

"How many Dementor's are there?"

Neville and Luna looked at each other. "There are a lot of them. More than when they were guarding the school. I think there are only three Death Eaters, I think " Luna replied.

"Harry I have a plan but it will only work if you do it."

"I'm all ears mate."

"First we should all go to the intersection just south of Honeydukes and try to drive off the Dementor's. Now only you and Hermione can produce a real Patronus but the rest of us can act as decoy's. I can tell you guys the rest of the plan on the way there."

The six of them headed out at a dead run with Ron telling them the rest of his plan between breaths.

"Once we have driven off the Dementors, Hermione, Harry and Luna will get the third, fourth and fifth years back to the meeting point so you can notify the teachers and then you will come back to town. Ginny you should round up any of the D.A. members you can find. Tell them to meet up at the three broomsticks then go there and take charge. Have people on both sides of the street using the buildings as cover. Harry, Hermione and Luna will meet you there."

As soon as he finished talking Harry looked at him sharply "What about you and Neville.?"

"Well my guess is the Dementors are moving through town quickly to shock everyone into panicking. The Death Eaters are going to come in more slowly looking for targets. Neville and I are going to slow the Death Eaters down until we get more D.A. members here."

"I'm coming with you then Ron." Harry shot back.

"No Harry your not. Even if we do get rid of the Dementors at first they might come back. You and Hermione both have a powerful Patronus so you can keep the third years safe."

As he finished the came around the corner and saw dozens of Dementors gliding up the street. People were fainting from a dead run as they were overwhelmed.

"Ron, Hermione and I can't drive all of these off there are too many."

Hermione's voice spoke up "Well since the two of us can't do it then the rest of you will have to help."

Rod paled a bit and looked over her shoulder at the Dementors. "Hermione none of the rest of us can produce a true Patronus. Trust me I've tried."

Hermione smiled softly ignoring the approaching chill. "Don't be silly Ron you're my Gryffindor Knight and you can do anything."

Ron nodded twice "Ok lets do this, Harry you're the powerful one, we go on your say."

Harry nodded and turned to face the oncoming Dementors with the others quickly following his lead. Harry raised his wand as did the others.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM"

Harry's stag erupted out of his wand and charged towards the closest Dementor. Right beside it Hermione's otter dove towards the next in line. Two other Patronums followed quickly behind, one was small and furry but attacked the Dementors in a frenzy. Harry was pretty sure in was a wolverine and it reminded him of the way Neville had tried to attack all the Death Eaters by himself in the Department of Mysteries. The other Patronus dwarfed the wolverine and it shook its shaggy mane and looked like it was trying to roar as it flew towards the Dementors.

The Dementors buckled under the combined assault and fled quickly.

Ron turned to look at all of them. "All right here's where we split up. You guys get the kids back to the castle. Ginny round up the D.A. and get them to the Three Broomsticks. Neville and I will see you in a bit."

Harry looked at Ron for a second "Ok mate see you in a bit,You two be careful."

Harry looked at Luna and Hermione "Lets go get the third years." and started off at a run.

Hermione hesitated for a second and hugged Ron whispering "Please be careful." and then took off after Harry and Luna. Ginny was hot on their heels looking into all of the shops for D.A. members.

After they had gone Ron looked at Neville who had gone pale "That was a hell of a Patronus there Neville. You ready to go get some payback?"

Neville's head came up at the word payback "I've been waiting for the chance my whole life." he said softly.

"Ok then, we are going to do this by the numbers just like Moody told us. I will move ten years ahead, then I will cover you while you move ten yards ahead of me until we sight them."

Neville nodded, and then Ron took off down the street moving from corner to corner. It didn't take them long to spot the three Death Eaters. One of the Death Eaters was using his wand to slam a man into the side of a building over and over while listening to his wife begging them to stop.

Ron and Neville had taken cover behind a produce stand and Neville looked at Ron questioningly. It was clear Neville couldn't or wouldn't just sit there and watch and Ron was of a like mind.

"Neville when I say now I want to you cast Petrificus on the Death Eater controlling the man. I am going to follow that up with the Furorus spell and try to take him out of the fight at the start. Then we will just have to bloody well wing it."

Neville nodded and turn to look up the street.

"Now Neville."

Neville leaned over the side and shouted "Petrificus Totalus" his spell flying towards the startled Death Eater. Before the Death Eaters could react Ron stood up "Furorus Manus" his voice seemed to echo throughout the street. Neville's spell slammed into the Death Eater and he immediately started to go rigid. At that moment there was a sharp sound like a thunderclap and Ron's spell blew the now perfectly rigid Death Eater back twenty feet or so.

They didn't have much time to think about how well their plan had worked as the two remaining Death Eaters returned fire with spells of their own. Several of the spells landed in the produce and showered them with roughage.

"Mum always said I need to eat more greens." Ron laughed "but these Death Eaters take eating healthy to far."

Neville looked at Ron like he was insane and then joined in the laughter.

"Neville I have an idea. I want you to move around the back of the building. I will cast really fast weak spells to make them think both of us are still here. Once you have moved around the back you should get a good firing angle to hit one of them and then when the other reacts I will mail him."

Neville just nodded and moved towards the back of the building.

Quickly leaning out and leveled his wand "Stupefy, Stupefy, Stupefy" and then jerking his head back in.

A spell bounced off of the stand and he heard one of the Death Eaters shout "Protego".

_At least his not casting at Neville if he has to shield himself,_

Ron leaned down and cast three quick spells again between the legs of the stand. One of the spells hit one of the Death Eaters but since he was casting so fast they didn't have much of a kick to them.

_Any time now would be good Neville._

Ron looked over the stand and saw that the Death Eaters were moving slowly up the street trying to improve their angle.

_If they get too far up the street I'm dead._

At that moment he heard Neville shout 'Stupefy".

_Please don't have missed Neville._

Ron stood up locating the remaining Death Eater "Impedimenta."

That Death Eater had turned towards Neville and never even saw Ron's spell as it hit him square in the chest and he collapsed.

Neville walked slowly out into the street to look at the Death Eaters.

"Neville get back under cover, if I'm right more Death Eaters will be here soon."

Neville moved towards the back of the build as soon as he heard Ron. At almost the same time the sound of several people Apparating split the air.

Six Death Eaters came into view in the street.

One of them pointed his wand towards where Neville had just headed to.

"Impedimenta" he shrieked which was followed by a cry of pain that could only have come from Neville.

The Death Eaters all laughed and one of them spoke up.

"Potter has to be near by look what happened to the first group." and he pointed to the three Death Eaters that were sprawled out in the street.

_They don't see me yet. Well Ron first I need to see if Neville is ok._

Ron slowly moved to the back of the building and expecting to be caught any minute he slowly crept up and managed to drag Neville back behind the building.

"Enervate."

Neville woke up and immediately grabbed his leg and winced.

"I think its broken Ron."

"Ok you stay here Neville. If you get in trouble just send some red sparks into the air and I'll come help you."

Neville nodded "Good luck Ron."

Ron got up and started to move back towards the street.

"Ron do me a favor."

"Sure Neville anything you want."

'Don't make me tell Hermione something bad happened to you."

Ron nodded and started back to where the Death Eaters were.


	24. The Battle of Hogsmeade part two

The Battle of Hogsmeade part two

_I must be mental_

Ron peered around the corner of the building he was using for cover.

_Where the bloody hell did they go?_

He looked up and down the street but still didn't see any of the Death Eaters. Then a movement in a window in the building across the street caught his eye.

_Why the hell did they go hide in there? _

_It's a trap, they are waiting to ambush the people coming to investigate._

At that moment a sickly green light shot out of the window right at him. Spinning to his right he let the corner of the house block the spell by inches.

_I'm going to move down a bit and see if I can't get a better angle._

Moving slowly he sent two buildings down from his and then moved back out towards the street. As he did he noticed that one of the Death Eaters had come out and seemed to be moving towards where he had been a few minutes ago.

He fell to the ground and cast his spell from a prone position.

"Stupefy"

The spell caught the Death Eater in the back of the head and threw him into the produce stand he had been moving towards.

Rolling back between the two buildings he tried to think clearly.

_What would Moody say if he were here?_

Ron could hear Moody's voice in his head. "When you are badly outnumbered don't try to be a hero. Wait for your back up."

_Well Moody old man I would love to do that but you see it won't work. Harry's my back up and they are looking for him._

At that moment he heard noise coming from a good distance up the street.

_Sounds like the rest of the Death Eaters got here. If I was right then I bet the D.A. has them in a pretty brutal crossfire._

_Don't think about if you were wrong._

_I still have to get rid of these right here._

As he looked around a spell hit just above his head and the flying shards of stone went everywhere.

_Damn that was close._

As Ron moved back a bit he noticed something wet running down his face. Putting his hand up to wipe it off it came back covered in blood.

_Those shards must have cut me pretty bad. Still it could be worse. I've got to do something unexpected to keep them off balance._

At that Ron broke into a run right across the street. Spells hit the ground all around him but they all somehow missed. He was now on the same side of the street as the Death Eaters. A blast of noise came from up the street and he was one of the Death Eaters inside turn to look at it.

"Stupefy" he yelled then pulled his head back as four different spells landed all around him.

_I wonder if I hit him._

_Hey my hand is shaking, I wonder why? Maybe it's cause I am scared to death._

Looking up the street he saw one of the Death Eaters slipping out the back door of the building and started moving down the street towards him.

"Petrificus Totalus"

_Just missed him and now he knows where I am for certain._

The Death Eater was being cautious in his movement not giving Ron much of a shot at him.

"Inpedamanta"

Ron barely had time to say "Protego" before the spell hit and his shield only barely held.

The Death Eater ran forward screaming "Ewiger Schlaf", a dark read bolt shot out of his wand and hit Ron in the side as he turned to move back into the alley. Pain shot through his arm for just a moment before he blacked out.

Ron woke up and the pain in his arm almost made him pass out again. When he looked down he could see part of the bone sticking out of hit.

_Wow that looks bad and it's my wand hand as well._

He stood up and only then did he notice that a raging spell battle was going on in the streets. Peering around the corner he saw several members of the DA had surrounded the house where most of the Death Eaters were. As he watched though,one of the DA members got hit with a spell that didn't come from that house. A minute later it happened again.

_Ok that had to come from the second floor of this house. I better go see if I can help._

Ron moved through the now open back door and tried to move quietly up the stairs. He made it up to the second floor and the door leading out of the stairwell was already open. He could hear the battle clearly coming from what must have been the front of the house.

As he moved through the house he started to feel a little light headed and sick to his stomach. He paused for a moment and it seemed to settle down a bit. When he looked back up he could see the back of the Death Eater. The Death Eater was on the balcony using the banister as a bit of cover and it didn't seem as if anyone had noticed him since no spells where landing around him.

Steadying himself he tried to raise his wand only to realize his wand was downstairs where he had dropped it when he was hit by the last spell.

The Death Eater started to laugh "Well well, now I see you Potter. You have been a thorn in our side for too long."

He took a step to the side to get a clear shot and in a horrible voice started to scream " Avaaaa.." when Ron slammed into him. Ron's momentum carried them both against the banister and it gave way under their combined weight. To Ron it seemed like they fell for a long time and when they did land it was with a sickening thud and everything went all white as pain rolled through his body like thunder. He knew he should try to get up and get back into the fight but he just couldn't seem to get the strength to do it.

After a few minutes that seemed like an eternity he managed to get on his knees "accio wand" he croaked. Still in a moment his wand came flying towards him and he managed to catch it with his left hand.

When he got to his feet he realized that his left ankle was probably broken but he could walk if he let it slide instead of picking it up. Looking around it seemed that the fighting was all but over. Mad Eye Moody was walking up to him as fast as he could move.

"Great Merlin Weasley you look terrible."

"You don't look so damn good yourself Moody" he grinned. Then another wave of pain rolled over him and he retched.

"Let's get you to St. Mungo's before that Granger girl gets a good look at you. Wait right here."

Ron decided not to tell him he probably couldn't go anywhere.

As he stood there feeling his ankle swell up he looked around. Several people seemed to be hurt though it didn't look like anyone was really badly hurt.

_If we got out of this without anyone dying it's a miracle._

"Mr. Weasley you should have gone back to the castle when the Auror's took charge. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Ron turned to face Professor McGonagall "Sorry Professor I didn't know about it."

Minerva McGonagall's face went chalk white "Ron are you alright?" She said very softly.

'Well I think my ankle is broken, my arm as well. Oh and I bet I have some ugly cuts on my head somewhere. My side also hurts like when I broke my ribs before. Other than that I should be ok."

"Minerva I'm going to take him to St. Mungo's." Moody said as he stumped back up.

"That won't be necessary Alsator. I will take him to Pomfrey she will be able to take care of him."

"Minerva are you sure that Hogwarts is set up to handle that sort of thing?"

"Yes Alastor and it will be good for him to be among his friends."

At that point Ron wanted to interrupt to say he was fine but as he opened his mouth the world started to spin and he fainted.


	25. The Hardest Part

The Hardest Part

Harry sat up in his bed and pushed the hair out from his eyes. His shoulder still ached from the battle the day before and he wondered if it would feel better by the Halloween party. Then he woke up enough to remember the battle. Somehow Ron had known the Death Eaters would appear just south of Honeydukes and Harry had the DA ready and waiting for them. As he thought of Ron his faced tightened. They wouldn't let anyone see him last night even when Hermione had begged. They had managed to get Hermione up to her dorm only with the help of all the Gryffindor sixth and seventh year girls. Throwing back the curtain around his bed Harry got out and started to get dressed when he noticed something moving in Ron's bed.

"Ron that you mate." he said quietly not wanting to wake the other boys.

After a minute of waiting for a answer he pulled back Ron's curtains to reveal Ginny and Hermione asleep. As if she could tell she was being watched Ginny woke up a bit and looked at Harry.

"Sorry if we bothered you Harry she was really upset and I thought if she could get in here she might go to sleep."

"I'm not bothered at all Ginny. I'm glad she got to sleep some and you are much better looking than the Weasley who usually sleeps in the bed next to mine." he grinned.

"Well yeah Ron's not much to look at is he." Ginny replied looking at Hermione out of the corner of her eye.

Hermione sat up with her eyes blazing "I'll have you know my Ron is very good looking. In fact I see the other girls looking at him all the time and it is starting to bother me. I will hex them into oblivion if they lay a hand on my boyfriend."

Both of them looked startled and Ginny said "I was joking Hermione I knew you were waking up and I thought I would just tease you a bit. I'm sorry if it sounded mean."

Hermione looked down at the bed. "No Ginny, I'm sorry for biting your head off it's not you I'm mad at. I'm mad at the Slytherins for making fun of him because he's poor. I'm mad at the Prophet for never giving him any credit and it's not just him. The Weasley's are the best family I've ever meet but the Malfoy's get more respect than they do even though the are up to their necks in the Dark Arts."

Ginny got very quiet and was very still.

Hermione didn't notice however and kept up her tirade.

"They take you in Harry and treat you like family. Then they wouldn't let you help them with money even though you're rich because they don't think they are doing anything special. They think they are just doing what you are supposed to do. They come and get me because my family isn't on the Floo network. I'm sick of them not getting credit."

"Well after this last fight I except Ron will get plenty of attention. In fact if we go down to breakfast I bet it will be in the Daily Prophet." Harry told her trying to calm her down,

"Breakfast, I'm not going to breakfast. I'm going to the hospital wing and they better let me in." Hermione jumped out of Ron's bed and started towards the door.

"Umm Hermione they aren't going to let you in until after lunch, remember they told us that yesterday. You also might want to get dressed I mean you are wearing Ron's shirt." Harry stammered.

"Oh for Merlin's sake it's as long as a dress. Good morning Dean, Seamus and Neville, ok I'll get dressed and we'll go to breakfast. Are you coming Ginny?"

Ginny jumped up and looked at Harry as if to say "I hope she calms down" and then followed after Hermione.

They got settled in at the Gryffindor table and started to eat when people started to come up to them asking about Ron. Every time some one asked if he was ok it looked like Hermione would start crying again but she managed to stay composed and to tell them he would be fine.

Half way into breakfast the owls started arriving with the mail. Harry got a letter from Remus asking if he was ok and how everyone else was doing. When Hermione slammed her freshly arrived copy of the Daily Prophet on the table. harry and Ginny both jummped.

"Harry you will want to read this." Hermione said her voice breaking up.

Boy Who Lived Saves Hogsmeade

Once again the wizarding world owes a huge debt to the Boy who Lived. During yesterdays attack on the village of Hogsmeade by Death Eaters the Boy who Lived rallied his fellow students, who he has been training for months, to repel the Death Eater attack. Due to his singular heroism and foresight the people of Hogsmeade are safe to lead their daily lives. Unfortunately none of the Death Eaters were captured there was however one Death Eater killed. Rodolphus Lestrange died while fighting with Ronald Weasley, both men fell from a second story balcony and Lestrange died when his neck was broken. Mr. Weasley has been the loyal sidekick of the boy who lived for many years now.

This reporter can only imagine how proud Mr. Weasley must be of his best friend. It must be a distinct pleasure to be constantly around one of the most famous figures of our age. Certainly it cannot harm young Mr. Weasleys prospects for future success to have such a shining example for first hand study.

"I can not bloody believe this paper." Harry roared. "They make it sound like I'm Merlin and Ron was just standing around. He's going to be furious at me."

"No Harry he's not, he gotten past that sort of thing. But that's not why I showed it to you. Rodolphus Lestrange was Bellatrix's husband you know."

"Good for Ron, let her see what it's like to lose someone she loves." Harry snarled.

Hermione's face fell but she kept on talking. "But don't you see Harry she's crazy. Do you think there's any chance she's not going to come after Ron now?"

Harry just stared at her for a second and then buried his face in his hands.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, Miss Weasley I would like to have a word with you if I may."

Hermione looked up "Of course Professor McGonagall."

"If you all will kindly follow me to my office."

'Thank you all for coming I have taken the liberty of having you excused from your morning classes."

"What did you need to talk to us about Professor?" Harry finally asked.

"I need to know if any of you have done any research on the Weasley family with Mr. Weasley?"

They all shook their heads no and waited for an explanation.

"During Mr. Weasley's healing last night he kept repeating the Weasley family motto. I thought that odd and so I thought I would ask the three of you."

"We have a family moto?" Ginny asked.

"This may take some time I'm afraid. Here each of you have a biscuit."

"A very long time ago the wizarding world was controlled by certain families which called themselves Houses. They were in fact the model for the four houses of Hogwarts. You can tell which of the houses were the oldest by where the vaults are in Gringotts. Well these houses controlled the wizarding world for a very long time. As time went on certain Houses formed alliances with each other based on how they viewed the world. For example the Malfoy's and the Lestranges believed that the muggle world should be subjugated and that muggles should be the servants if not slaves of the wizarding world. As their alliance became more powerful other families banded together to oppose them. The leading families of the opposition were the Potters and the Blacks."

"As the two sides struggled against each other they enlisted help from Houses that although not at the social peak still wielded influence and power. The Weasley family joined the side belonging to the Potters and Blacks. They soon became renowned for their prowess at war and because of it drew the ire of the Malfoy's and the Lestranges. In the end through the work of many generations the Potter/Black alliance moved the wizarding world towards hiding from the muggles and living totally separate lives. They also instituted the Ministry form of government. Ironically this caused them to lose a great deal of their power as they gave up more and more control. Over the years the families moved away from actively trying to influence the wizarding world as they weren't needed to keep the other families from taking over. The Malfoy and Lestrange House concentrated on commercial enterprises and at the time it was seen to be less of a threat.

After a great deal of time had passes both the Potters and Weasleys even ceased to refer to themselves as Houses and adopted the term families like most of the wizarding world. The Blacks were not able to do this out of pride and I suspect that this had at least a small part in how many members of the Black family turned to the Dark Arts over time."

"Due to some financial misfortunes what House treasures the Weasley family had were sold to cover a long string of losses, which is why you have never seen anything with the motto on it. In fact most of the Weasley family wouldn't even know they had a motto."

Professor McGonagall handed them a very old book on Heraldry which was open to the listing for Weasley.

_The house of Weasley, principle retainers for the house of Potter._

_Motto; For Honor, All._

"Professor McGonagall are you saying the Weasley family were my families servants?" Harry asked horrified.

"Of course not, the term retainer was used to describe a person on the same side but not of an equivalent family ranking. In fact there was a substantial amount of intermarriage early on."

"It does sound like the Weasley's have always been sidekicks though." Ginny spoke up sounding not thoroughly pleased with that idea.

"If by sidekick you mean brave and loyal defenders of their friends and family then yes Ginny you are correct." McGonagall said peering over her glasses.

"What I want to know is how Ron knew about the motto" Harry interrupted.

"I would like to know that as well." McGonagall answered.

At that Hermione spoke up "Well it seems that he has been doing some research on his own."

"Go on Miss Granger."

"Well last night I could sleep so I was looking through Ron's things for something to make me feel better. While I was looking I found a great deal of notes on the process of becoming an Animagus. If he has been doing that then he could have just stumbled across the motto."

"That might well be true Miss Granger if I didn't know that the notes on becoming an Animagus were from his detentions with me."

"You are helping Ron become an Animagus?" Harry stuttered.

"Ron is researching the method of becoming an Animagus during detention. I did not say he would become an Animagus."

"But you are helping him right?" Harry pressed.

"Mr. Potter please make sure the door is closed tightly and lock it."

Professor McGonagall raised her wand and mumbled the words of a spell quickly.

"I will take the three of you into my confidence. Please do not repeat what I am about to tell you to anyone other than the three of you and Mr. Longbottom and Miss Lovegood."

"Not even Ron?" Hermione asked.

"No Miss Granger not even Mr. Weasley though if I am correct he will find out soon enough. If you cannot give me your word on this I will be unable to tell you."

They all quickly agreed to keep anything she told them a secret.

"I have come to suspect that Mr. Weasley is a shape shifter. Unfortunately if he is indeed one it will have to manifest on it's own."

"Do you mean like Tonks or do you mean like Professor Lupin?" Ginny queried.

"Shape shifters are more like natural born Animagi so in that regard it is more like Nymphadora. They also are more like the animals they become even when in human form. In that regard they are more like Professor Lupin."

"Professor if Ron is a shape shifter is there any way to tell what he might be?" Harry asked softly.

"It is my opinion and just that Mr. Potter that he will be some form of big cat."

"Professor if Ron really is a shape shifter then why do you have him studying the process for becoming an Animagus?" Hermione questioned.

"Well Miss Granger I just assumed that since I had never had much luck in keep all of you apart when I tried it would be easier to help you all stay together."

"Are you saying we can become Animagi?" blurted Ginny.

"I am most certainly not. I am saying if you happen to keep finding Ron's notes and do some outside work on spell theory to keep him company then so be it. Remember it is very hard to become an Animagus however you are all extraordinary young people and as such I would not put anything past you."

Harry and Ginny had big smiles on their faces but Hermione just kept looking at the floor.

"Professor how is Ron?" she said her voice breaking.

"He will be fine Miss Granger, in fact you can see him in a few hours if you wish. He will likely be sore for several days. When he first woke up in the Hospital wing he demanded to see you and even went so far as to threaten to get up and go to the Gryffindor common room to find you."

Harry and Ginny just laughed.

"I wish he wouldn't take such chances. He's going to get himself killed one of these days." Hermione sniffed as tears started to flow down her cheeks.

"If you like the three of you can go to your common room until you can visit Mr. Weasley."

They got up one by one and started to leave.

"Oh Miss Granger one moment."

"Yes Professor."

"I just wanted to let you know that I am here if you ever need to talk. I have noticed that you and Mr. Weasley have developed quite a relationship and it never hurts to have another set of ears to talk to."

Hermione stood silently for a moment "Thank you Professor I think I would like that."


	26. Moody Musings

Moody Musings

_I really, really hate this place._

Ron had been in the hospital room less than two day and yet he was going stir crazy.

_They want me to get some rest but I'm bored out of my skull. I can't even sleep I just see that crazy Death Eater and I falling out of that building .Well I also dream about Hermione, of course that doesn't help me get any rest either._

He wasn't sure when they had started but the last few days he had been having some very uncomfortable dreams about Hermione. He considered them to pleasant on the whole but they forced him to think about some very uncomfortable things. Like how womanly Hermione was starting to look. Not like something out of one of those muggle magazines Fred and George used to have but like a real woman. Her skin was always so soft and warm. She always smelled so nice but not like Lavender. As much as he thought Lavender was a really sweet girl she always smelled so flowery, which is fine if you are a flower he guessed but the way Hermione smelled well like herself with just a touch of vanilla was just overwhelmingly wonderful.

He blushed as he recalled some of the dreams he had been having.

_I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be dreaming about Hermione being in the shower. She would kill me if she found out about it, wouldn't she?_

He sort of sighed and continued to let his thoughts wander.

_You know if I don't stop thinking about Hermione in the shower and I not going to be able to walk out of here right. I really am a pig aren't I? Maybe this is normal, Ha knowing my luck I am some sort of freak of nature. Hell they can call it "Disgusting boyfriend who won't stop thinking about his kind ,sweet girlfriend being all wet and naked in the shower syndrome."._

_Why can't I leave I mean it only takes a day or so to regrow bones to just mend them takes almost as long? That's barmy if you ask me. I need to make sure Harry hasn't decided that it's his fault Hogsmeade got attacked. Harry is the best mate a guy could have but he tend to take the blame for everything and that's got to stop .I'm glad he got Ginny now, nobody will treat her better than Harry and they both deserve a bit of happiness after all the shite they have been put through. Speaking of being treated like shite I am damn glad to see Neville standing up for him self more and he did a fine job during the fight. You know come to think of it he and Luna are made for each other. She's a bit weird and he's a bit nervous but deep down both of them are really fine people._

_Ok that's it I'm out of here. I feel fine, well mostly._

Ron got out of bed and gathered up the few things that he had with him. He was about half way to the door when a voice shattered the quiet.

"Just were do you think your going Weasley?"

_Moody?_

Ron turned around to see Professor Moody walking towards him.

"Going for a little stroll Weasley?"

"Well yes sir, I can't stand it in here and I feel fine."

"Weasley you know Madame Promfrey will have your hide if you skip out of here."

Moody looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I'll tell you what if you really are feeling fine you and I will take a little walk if you are still feeling fine after our walk I'll see if I can't talk her into letting you go early."

Ron smiled "Sounds good to me."

They quickly made their way down a couple of seldom used corridors and soon found themselves behind the school facing the Whomping willow.

"So Weasley I heard you did quiet well in the battle yesterday."

"Well I lived and that's always a good start. I figured you would be mad at me taking on that many Death Eaters though."

"Well I still might be but I'm going to let you tell me why you did before I give you a lot of grief over it."

Ron took a deep breath.

"I'm sure it was a trap. The first Death Eaters were there to draw Harry into a spell battle out in the open so that when the other Death Eaters arrived they could find him quickly and kill him while not risking losing any of their forces. "

"Since it was a trap I hade to use my best judgment as to how to destroy the trap. First I got Harry out of the trap area so even if my plan didn't work they still couldn't pull off theirs. Then I thought if Neville and I could dispatch the first three then we could ambush the other. I miscalculated how long it would be before the other arrived."

Moody's magical stared straight at Ron.

"Well Weasley all in all it was a pretty good plan. Next time you might want to consider an exit strategy as well though."

"Yes Professor I can see how that would have been helpful." he grinned.

"It's good to see you aren't beating yourself up over Lestrange."

A shadow passed across Ron's face.

Moody looked at him thoughtfully.

"It seems as if maybe it is bothering you a bit still then? Well let's talk about that. Weasley, Lestrage is the second Death Eater you've had some part in the death of correct?"

Ron nodded his head and looked away.

"Did you want to kill either of them?"

"No I didn't but I just tried to stop them as best I could."

'That's the difference between us and the Death Eaters Weasley, they like to kill, it makes them feel good. People like you and I walk a fine line. In protecting the people we love we come dangerously close to becoming what we hate. You know not everyone can kill. Some people just can't do it for lots of different reasons. Some are too afraid; some believe its wrong and other don't believe they can do it. That's where we come in, we do what other people can't or won't. It's hard sometimes; sometimes even the people you end up saving will hate or fear you. In the end you will learn many ways of dealing with an opponent and you still may have to kill one. As long as you hate doing it you'll be fine."

"Professor is that what it's like to be an Auror?"

"Well not all Auror's have to kill people. In fact only the ones who go on the most dangerous missions really ever do for the most part. You and Potter will be like that though if you become Auror's. You'll want the dangerous missions, the ones that really matter. The two of you really want to make a difference which is why you'll make fine Auror's."

"If I can pass potions you mean."

Moody laughed "You'll get your N.E.W.T. in potions if it's the last thing I do."

"Thanks Professor I really appreciate it."

"Glad to do it. You two are hell on the Dark Arts." he laughed.

"Two more things Weasley and you can go. First stop calling me Professor, it's Alastor or Mad Eye or Moody. Secondly it's a beautiful day and I bet you have friends who are going out of their minds with worry so go find them. Then make sure you kiss that beautiful girl of yours. It's people like her who keep people like us grounded."

Ron lookd around for a bit but then got the courage to ask.

"Professor I mean Moody did you ever have a girl like her."

Moody got very quiet for a long time and then replied "Yes Weasley I did and I made a mistake and she died. One day I'll tell you about so maybe you don't make the same mistake."

Ron turned to leave but got stopped after only a few feet.

"You should also tell them the rest of what happened in Egypt if you can."

Ron sort of turned pale

"I'll try Moody but what if they hate me?"

"Hate you? for being human? You didn't do anything wrong."

"But I almost did." Ron sighed looking at the ground.

"But in the end you did the right thing. Secrets only divide people Weasley and right now you all need to stand together.


	27. Telling it like it was

Telling it like it was

It was somewhat surprising to Ron to see Harry, Ginny and Hermione sitting in the common room just before lunch. He had hoped to have a moment to figure out a way to tell them what happened in Egypt and why he hadn't told them before but they were already here.

"Hey guys, why aren't you in class?"

The three of them rushed over to Ron enveloped him in one really big hug. After it stopped Harry said "McGonagall let us miss class so we could go see you in a bit."

'Speaking of which how did you get out of the hospital ward?" Ginny queried.

"Moody told Madame Pomfrey that I was all right.

"Are you all right?" Hermione asked softly.

"Couldn't be better cutie."

"Well good" at that Hermione started hitting him on the arm and yelling at him.

"Of all the stupid, unthinking, reckless things you've ever done this takes the cake. I can not believe you tried to fight six Death Eaters alone. They could have killed you, you stupid git.

Ron tried to cover up from the unexpected attack but didn't seem to be doing a very good job of it.

"I mean really, do you think your head is just something to hold up your cannons hat? Damn it Ron what would have happened if we hadn't gotten there in time? I have been so busy with school and then the day I want to be able to spend with you Death Eaters attack. Oh god when the battle was over and I was looking around for you and I couldn't find you. Then I see Professor McGonagall standing over a body and I knew it was you. You weren't moving and there was so much blood. Then they brought you here and wouldn't let me see you. I was so scared Ron it was horrible."

Feeling tears start to slide down his own cheeks he grabbed her and held her tightly until the crying stopped. As he did that Harry walked up to him.

"Really mate we were scared to death, How about we not do that again?"

Ron looked at him softly saying "You know we can't make those kinds of promises Harry."

Ginny had squared herself in front of him.

"Hermione may be inclined to let you off easy but I'm not. I don't care how brave you think you are or how much good your doing. I had to sit here and watch Hermione cry her eyes out wondering if her boyfriend was dying or not and before you say she had that bloody necklace it's hard to believe a piece of jewelry when you see how bad a person is hurt."

"Ginny I wasn't hurt that badly just a few broken bones and a small cut or two."

"You idiot when they picked you up to get you back to the school one of those LITTLE CUTS fell open and I could see the top of your skull. You had lost so much blood from those LITTLE CUTS you were almost empty. You were busted up so badly even McGonagall was about to start crying."

"But you want to know what the worst part is Ron?" she continued without waiting for an answer.

"The worst part is Neville told Dean and Seamus what you did and those prats think you're a hero and they told everybody else. So now there are first years down in the Great Hall daydreaming about being a hero like you. What are you going to do when one of them tries to fight six Death Eaters? How are you going to feel then?"

Ginny had stopped yelling but was looking up at him daring him to say anything.

"What the bloody hell was I supposed to do Ginny? Let them keep torturing that man and his wife. Maybe I should have just ignored the fact that it was a trap to kill Harry? Does that sound like a good idea to you? You heard the prophecy, Harry has to kill Voldemort. I will do what ever I have to do to make sure Harry gets that chance. I am expendable, Harry isn't and that's how it is."

At that Hermione pulled her head out from his chest and stared at him open mouthed. Ginny just scowled and glared at him. Harry on the other hand looked stricken.

"Ron I....."

"Its ok mate, it's the way things are. You didn't ask for this stuff and it's not fair you have to deal with it. Everybody has to do their part and I'm just doing mine."

"While I have you all here and you're already mad at me I need to tell you guys something. It's something that happened in Egypt and I'm not really proud of it. In fact I wouldn't have told you at all but Moody seemed to think I should. So have a seat. I promise you will all be able to yell at me later."

Harry sat in one of the big chairs and Ginny sat in his lap. Hermione picked her favorite spot on the couch and they all looked at Ron.

"It was about half way through the summer. I had been working with Bill and had gotten pretty good about sniffing out hidden chambers where there might be more treasure. I had decided that morning I wanted to go check out a tributary that came of the main shaft in the pyramid we were exploring. Well as it turned out there was a hidden entrance to another shaft. I followed that shaft for a fair bit and it came to another door. After giving it the once over for traps I open the door and went inside. The room it opened into was fairly large in the middle it had a stone table with two jars on it one black jar and one silver jar. There also seemed to be some sort small pool behind it."

"I thought it was odd that the pool still had water in it but the people who built those pyramids were pretty smart so I guessed they could have figured out a way to keep it full.

I wanted to get a closer look at the jars before I tagged the passage here for retrieval by goblin teams. When I got about ten or so feet away a large black mist rose up from the black jar. It spread itself to about three times the width of a person and about that height as well. In the center of the mist I could see things that had happened in my life. Things I didn't like very much. I could see Malfoy making fun of my clothes. I could see people making fun of the robes I wore to the ball. I could see all the times something I did got ignored because Bill or Charlie or Percy or Fred or George had done it before and better than I did. I saw Harry in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. I saw how ood Harry and my brothers were at Quidditch and how bad I was at it. I saw Viktor be brave enough to ask Hermione to the ball and I saw me not be brave enough."

"As I watched I got angrier and angrier. It was like I heard a voice saying it wasn't my fault. That I had been wronged in some way. Sort of like I never got any credit for anything which was barmy but I still sort of believed it. Then I got even angrier and the voice started telling me that all I need to do was to start looking out for myself and I would be fine. I just needed to stop thinking about other people and do something for me and I'm ashamed to admit I listened to it. So I decided that I was going to come back this year and not worry about anything as sill as friends or a girlfriend and finally work on what I wanted to."

"Then something even more strange happened."


	28. Telling it like it was part two

Telling it like it was part two.

Ron paused for a moment to see if he could gauge what they were thinking about what he had just said but all he could tell was that they were paying close attention.

"Well right as I was thinking all of those things I got a picture in my mind of Malfoy. Malfoy was rich, good looking or at least a lot of girls think so and he was from a very powerful family. He had all the things I wanted but did I really want to be like him. As you might have guessed the thought made me sick. Once I had that thought all the scenes I could see in the black mist didn't seem to affect me much. I did get mad again but at the mist itself not at what it showed me. You guys know sometimes I do reckless things sometime. Well I grabbed the black jar and threw it up against the wall."

"When it shattered I felt a sharp pain run though my chest but it passed pretty quickly and when I looked up the black mist was gone. I was just about to congratulate myself for getting rid of the black mist when silver mist starts coming out of the second jar. I took a couple of steps back seeing as how the first mist had been up to no good. The second mist had a shape, it looked a lot like Hermione but not exactly. The not quiet Hermione told me that the black and silver jars were my hate and my love. It seems that when humans hate and love the emotions are so strong that they cause representative sprits to come into being. These spirits are unique to the person who created them and they constantly war with each other for the soul of their creator. One side focuses on anger ,hate, envy and all of the negative emotions. The other uses love, joy, loyalty and devotion as its guides."

"The good spirits call themselves Muses and as you can tell by there name more than one person has had contact with their Muse though it is rare enough that they have passed from fact to legend in the minds of most people. The evil spirits are simply known as Hates. They never contact the person who created them other than to try and push that person further along a path of hatred and envy. Neither Hates nor Muses can be fully destroyed since no one is immune to those feelings. The best you can hope to do is understand how all the choices and the way you react to them affects your lives."

At this Harry spoke up "So that why you were so set on telling people things you thought needed to be said?"

"Well yeah for the most part though almost dying did play a part in that."

'I asked my Muses if she had a name and she said that she did. When I asked her what it was she kind of laughed and said if I really didn't know already I would find out soon enough. I thought that was a little odd almost like something Dumbledore would say. Then she told me that I had come to a very special place. It seems that the pool here was a very old and powerful magical site. She called it the Well of Possibilities. In the well you could see all the things you could do if you were willing to do what it takes. She warned me I might not understand all of it and I should be careful not to over react to what I saw. She even said I might not want to look at all. Well I think you all know me well enough to know there was no way I wasn't going to look so I told her I was ready whenever she was ready to show me."

"We walked in and gazed at the pool together. There was an aura of peace about the place and as I stood watching in the pool I started to see pictures of my life and the pictures started coming faster. I would live grow old and die and in each one I had made a choice that turned out to be important. Now it might not have seen important at the time but they all turned out to impact my life greatly. The pictures started coming so fast I really couldn't see them. It was almost like I was just catching them in my brain for later use. I saw myself die hundreds of times, a few times in this very room. I saw my wedding in many different forms at many different ages. I saw my children being born and I saw some of them die. I saw us fighting Voldemort over and over again. Sometimes we won and sometimes we lost but never without a very high price. I saw us rebuild after our victory and I saw us watch as the wizarding world was destroyed by a triumphant Voldemort. I saw us all enter many different careers and life paths. In one of the paths I even ended up as a Death Eater though I think that was a bit of a stretch."

"Finally I couldn't take it anymore and I stepped away. When I did my Muse walked over and whispered that she would always be walking with me and to never forget that I must always guard against the return of the strength of my Hate. When she stopped talking the world seemed to start to spin and I blacked out. Bill found me passed out in the passage way I had first come down and I never could find that room again."

"Some of the people thought I had gotten over heated and just dreamed the whole thing up but I know it happened. Somehow I got a glimpse at what really mattered and I'm not going to forget it."

"later that day I got to talk a bit to Yasmine, now I know you guys don't know her but you would all love her. She was kind and helpful and I owe her a great deal. I didn't really know how I felt about Hermione until she mentioned my aura to me. Yasmine can see people's auras. She had infact wanted to ask me out on a date after I had gotten to Egypt but when I told her it was ok for her to look at my aura she said there wasn't any need. I thought that was a little odd and I asked why she thought that. She just laughed and she said it was because I was already madly, crazily in love with someone else and that person had already left their mark on me."

"Now you guys all know me so I started looking for a mark on my face. Then she laughed again and told me that the mark was on my aura. She said my aura colors were mostly yellow and red which sort of made sense to me. Then she said my aura was threaded though with other colors representing other people. After she told me which ones represented my family and most of my friends she said two others had marked me. One of the people she called the brother of my heart if not my body which I think we all know means Harry. The second person had so marked my aura that she sometimes had problems seeing what was mine and what was the part that had been left by the other person."

"She said the woman who had marked me was strong and kind. Quick of mind and nurturing in spirit. Then she laughed and saying she is very earthy this woman while you are brash and quick of temper. Then she said that our fights must be something special and I laughed with her."

"As we were talking she grew more and more animated and then she scared the hell out of me."


	29. Charting the course

Charting the course.

"So we are sitting around talking about auras and other things when her eyes sort of roll back in her head and she starts talking in a really deep voice. I don't know how I remember it all since I can't remember where I left my potions book."

Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry and Ginny both laughed at her.

"Three and three the hero's come.....two children of the line of flame...one the Dark Lord marked....one scion of the Muggle world.....a daughter of the night....one ever faithful friend......these must walk a long dark road before the final fight....the children of the line of flame, twice betrayed in one sad stroke... the golden knight will fall far from the path...the ever faithful friend must save him from his own destructive wrath........the youngest of the flame kissed ones, will grow in might and strength...the scion and the Dark Lord marked will pay a fearful price and only through faith and hope will they ever set things right...when light and love seem all but gone, on the day love most is sought the Dark Queen will come forth....She will seek out the golden knight and offer him a way through the pain...if the golden knight forsakes the light all hope is lost...but if the golden knight rejects the darkness then the healing can begin.....the daughter of the moon and the faithful friend must not fail...these things must all take place before the battle can be joined...they must be forgiven......The Dark Lord marked and the Golden Knight must stand together.......the golden knight must not become the heir of darkness......love must prevail

"Then she stopped talking and passed out. I got her to a doctor but he said she had probably just been working to hard and that she needs to get some rest."

"Ron I didn't like the sound of that at all." Ginny noted.

"Yeah well you should have been there, it was even worse then. At first I didn't even think it applied to me. I thought I would just be the messenger but the more I thought about it I figured out I was part of it after I had gotten back to school."

"What did Dumbledore say about it Ron?" Hermione asked.

"I didn't tell him. I'm tired of telling them everything I find out only to have them keep us in the dark. Plus I was still freaked out about seeing what I big prat I was being jealous and all that."

"You didn't need to go to Egypt to find that out. I could have told you that you were a great big prat and saved you the trip." Ginny smirked

"Ok you two we need to think about this prophecy because I didn't like the sound of a lot of it." Harry said loudly.

"I have been thinking about that prophecy and I think it's safe to say that Ginny and I are the children of the line of flame. Harry is obviously the one Dark Lord marked, Hermione is the Muggle scion, Luna HAS to be the daughter of the night and that would probably make Neville the ever faithful friend. What I haven't been able to figure out is who the golden knight or the dark queen are. I also can't figure out why the golden knight has to be with Harry. So any ideas would be helpful."

"Ron It might be a good idea if we can figure out who is going to betray us as well."

"Yeah Ginny that would be nice."

"Ron if you want I can see if I can find out something in the library about the Dark Queen or the Golden knight." Hermione smiled at him.

"I'm sure you will figure it out in no time Hermione. Just please make sure you don't forget about me. I haven't seen you a lot lately."

Ginny snickered and Harry turned his head so Ron wouldn't see him grinning.

"What my brother is trying to say is he hasn't had a lot of snogging time lately and it's starting to bother him." Ginny laughed.

At that Harry really did start to laugh.

Hermione however didn't seem to find it amusing.

"Ron have I been ignoring you?"

"Well not really" he started "You have just had a lot on your mind and with all the stuff you have to do you don't have a lot of time to waste on hanging out."

"Spending time with you is not wasting my time. I thought you had gotten passed all of those feelings."

'Oh come on Hermione, I feel pretty damn good about myself but nobody ever totally feels comfortable about who they are and I bet most people always wonder if they measure up to what the person they love wants."

Hermione walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. With her head resting against his chest she could feel his heart start to beat faster.

"Ron, I spent a long time let both of our self doubts keep me from being able to hold you like this. I'm not going to let it happen again. I will just have to make more time for you. We didn't find each other just to lose each other because I can't keep track of time."

Ron smiled and leaned down to kiss her on the top of the head. She always smelled so wonderful and he really did love hew bushy hair. It was one the things that made her who she was.

"Hermione you aren't going to use that hair straightening potion for the costume party are you?" he said softly hoping Ginny and Harry couldn't hear him.

"I was thinking about it, why do you ask?

"Because I love your hair the way it is. Besides if you somehow managed to get more beautiful I don't think my heart could take it."

"Every time I wonder how such a great big git managed to get the smartest girl in school to fall in love with him. He says something like that to make me think he might actually deserve her love." Ginny wondered aloud.

Ron laughed then he walked over to his sister, who looked at him warily.

"You know Ginny I remember we used to tell each other we loved each other all the time but then I guess we got to old for that sort of thing and had to start picking on each other to show how we felt."

"Yeah I remember." she said very softly.

"Well it's time for that to stop. Ginny you are the best sister anybody could ever have and I will never stop looking out for you."

"I was afraid of that." she replied with tears in her eyes.

Ron grabbed her and started hugging her. After a moment she looked up to see Harry grinning at them.

"I don't know what your grinning at Harry. You're just as much family as us so much so that mom and dad are putting you on the clock."

Harry looked stunned and then Ron grabbed him and pulled him into their hug as well.

"Your just going to have to live with the fact you've got a family now mate."

Harry grinned from ear to ear and started laughing.

Ginny then noticed Hermione standing by the fire place.

"Hermione you had better get over here as well. I mean it's only a matter of time until you're my sister-in-law right?" Ginny remarked with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Oh Ginny" Hermione blushed looking at Ron who just reached out his hand for hers.

It was then with his love beside him, his sister on his other side and his best mate in front of him that Ron truly understood for the first time how rich he truly was and he fiercely hoped he always would be.


	30. Halloween

Halloween

"This has got to be the funniest thing I have seen since I have been at Hogwarts." Seamus cackled.

"Shut it." Harry snarled.

"Harry you have got to concentrate if you want to learn this. Ginny is a great dancer so all you need to do is learn how to guide her."

"I know that you git but the idea of learning how to dance from a bloke is not my idea of fun."

"Don't think I am having a lot of fun with this either. I already know how to dance so if you can't pay attention I could just go play Quidditch now."

"Sorry Ron I really do appreciate you helping me out."

"No worries, it's what friends do."

Ron had been teaching Harry how to dance for several days but it was taking Harry a good bit of time to get the basics down pat. Time they didn't really have since the party was later that night. The fact that Seamus, Dean and Neville had decided that watching them was more fun than anything else they could do on a Saturday was not helping.

"Ok I know where the seventh years are going after the party. I am putting dibs down for the Astronomy Tower since I know they aren't going to use it." Dean spoke up.

"Why are you going to the Astronomy tower after the party?" Harry asked.

They all turned to look at him not sure if he was joking.

"You need a private place before you can have a right good snog Harry. As much as we blokes will snog just about anywhere most girls like it to be private."

"You all have already picked out places and reserved them so to speak?"

They all nodded their heads.

"You too Neville?"

Neville blushed and then looked up "Well to be honest Luna did. There is a hidden room over by the Ravenclaw common room that Luna uses a lot since they can be mean to her sometimes."

"Good man Neville" Seamus laughed slapping him on the back "Though somebody already got the best spot."

"What is the best spot?" Harry asked.

"The room of requirements of course." Dean kicked in. "All the seventh years wanted it but it seems a certain sixth year let it be known that anybody trying to use it would get a right good beating."

"Who did that?" Harry asked knowing as he said it.

"Ron you are taking our Hermione to the Room of Requirements?" Harry asked getting a little upset.

Ron blushed a bit but looked right at Harry.

"Yeah I am, it's the nicest place in the school and I wanted her to be happy.

"But it's Hermione."

"Harry calm down, it's not like things are going to get out of hand or anything. However we are dating and have been for a fair bit and we do want some alone time you know."

'I know it's just hard to imagine Hermione..."

"Sucking face with Ron?" Dean tried helpfully.

Harry made a face and replied "yeah I just can't see it."

"I couldn't either until I walked in on them in the common room last night" Neville laughed.

Harry turned back to Ron. "You came to bed when I did, how did you end up down there."

Ron turned beet red and said haltingly "Hermione came up here and woke me up."

"Wait are you telling me Hermione came up here and woke you up so you two could snog?" Harry asked not believing a word of it.

"Well yeah that's about it mate."

"It was a little bit more than snogging there Ron." Neville snickered.

Harry looked at Ron horrified.

"What is Neville talking about?"

Ron looked stricken but finally straightened up.

"Not that it's any of your business but when we snog Hermione like me to take off my shirt so she can touch my tattoo's"

"That's all, well that's not so bad."

"Yeah Harry that's all though that could also change."

"What!!!"

"Harry you have to understand when you see Hermione you see your best mate and your sister all rolled up in one person. When I see Hermione I see the beautiful, intelligent woman who has me wrapped around her little finger."

"I know I just don't like anybody thinking about her like that."

"Trust me Harry I know the feeling. You do realize that you are taking my sister to the party and I know she has probably scouted out a good snogging place."

Harry looked a bit flustered "I didn't think about that."

"This is the last thing I am going to say about the whole damn thing Harry. I have not nor will I ever do anything Hermione doesn't want me to and I expect you to do the same with Ginny."

Harry looked at Ron for a second then stuck out his hand. "Deal"

Dean jumped up "Thank god now can we go get something to eat its lunch time.

Ginny had been working on her hair for over and hour and it still wasn't they way she wanted it.

"Ginny relax Harry will like your hair no matter how you have it done." Hermione sighed.

"Yeah well maybe but not all of us have boyfriends that like our hair the way it is all the time."

"Ginny you can be so dense sometimes. Harry loves your hair and quite frankly I would kill to have hair like yours. Be glad you can pull off the mysterious redhead look. No matter what I do I look like I belong in the library."

Lavender looked over at them "Maybe so Hermione but I heard that Ron told the seventh years that if anybody tried to use the room of requirements they would get a right good beating."

Hermione gasped "he didn't did he?"

"That's what Dean said and it seems that they are all afraid of him"

"Why would they be afraid of him Lavender?"

All the girls in the dorm just laughed at Hermione.

"Maybe it's because of what he did to Malfoy." Parvati smirked.

"Or maybe it's because of what happened in Egypt." Ginny added.

"It might even be him fighting Death Eaters in Hogsmeade." Lavender said softly. "That was the bravest thing I've ever heard of."

Hermione whirled around to look at her. "No it wasn't it was stupid. He could have been killed by some worthless Death Eater and I would be left alone crying my eyes out because he's so reckless sometimes."

Lavender blushed but kept talking "Hermione you might just have to get used to the fact you are crazy in love with a hero and best friends with another one."

"I don't want either of them to be heroes. I want Ron to get a safe boring job where he never gets into danger but no he wants to be an Auror. I heard Moody telling Tonks after one of his Directed Studies classes that Ron was born to take out Death Eaters. I don't want to be sitting at home worried sick while Ron goes who knows where and gets hurt all the time. You don't know how often I worry about one of them coming back and telling me something horrible happened to the other one."

Lavender looked at Hermione for a very long time. "Does he know how you feel about that?"

"No and I don't want him to either. I want him to decide what he wants to do on his own and I will support his choice no matter what, even if I hate it."

Lavender looked down at the floor. "You know Hermione I really envy you."

Hermione just stared at her for a bit. "You envy me? You're the prettiest girl in our year and probably in the school."

Lavender just laughed "Well I don't know about that but I do envy you and Ginny as well."

"But why?" Hermione asked.

"Well you're the smartest girl in school and you never really cared much for boys. Then one day you start to fancy Ron who was the most gangly, clumsy boy in the whole school. Nobody could figure it out but we should have known that you would know what you were doing because the gangly boy you liked turned out to be one of the best looking guys in school. Not only that it turns out that he is kind and sensitive and only has eyes for you."

"Well when you put it like that Lavender I'm a bit jealous myself." Parvati piped up.

Hermione blushed "I never thought he would like me to be honest but I am happy to say I was wrong."

All of them just sat there for a second then Parvati spoke up "So what are you two going to wear as your costume?"

"I'm going as a vampire." Ginny spoke up.

"That's sounds really cool Ginny, so what about you Hermione?"

Hermione looked at the floor then sighed "I'm going as a fallen angel."

"A what?" Ginny stuttered.

"You know an angel that has gone bad." she said with a grin.

"How are you going to do that?" Lavender asked.

Hermione went over and took out a long black silk dress.

"I'm going to wear this with a pair of large bat wings and a tarnished halo. I think it should look alright."

"You think? Hermione Granger are you trying to seduce my brother?" Ginny asked looking a little angry.

All the other girls laughed and looked at Hermione.

"No Ginny I'm not trying to seduce him. Well not really, it's just Ron is very respectful about how fast we move sometimes and to be a bit honest I wish he was just a touch less respectful. It's also sort of a statement. I have seen how some of the girls look at Ron now and I want them to know I'm not the mousy little girl I used to be either."

"Ok Hermione I can deal with that on one condition,"

'Whats that Ginny?"

"I want you to transfigure me a pair of bat wings like that as well for my costume." I think that just might cause Harry to pass out."


	31. Confusion

Confusion

"You wanted to see me Headmaster?"

"Yes Severus please come in and have a seat."

"I understand that you have some information for me?"

"The Dark Lord has asked me to brew a potion for him."

'I see, and which potion is it Severus?"

"The Draught of Clarity Headmaster."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would he want that potion?"

"I believe he is going to give it to Bellatrix."

"Why would he want to cure Bellatrix's madness? She is a far more effective Death Eater in her current state."

"I cannot begin to fathom why he would wish too."

"Well I suggest you brew the potion and hopefully we will find out what his real motives are. Also Severus could you find a student to go to the Gryffindor tower and ask Mr. Potter and Miss Granger to come here as soon as possible."

"Of course Headmaster, I will keep you informed as I discover more."

"Thank you Severus."

_Something is going on. Hermione has been very flirty all day but the minute I try to get her alone she suddenly remembers something she has to do._

Ron looked across the common room wondering if there was some sort of plot to drive him crazy.

Ginny and Hermione sat in a far corner taking about last minute touches to their costumes. Both Ron and Harry had come over several times to see what was going on only to have the girls threaten them if they didn't leave immediately.

Ginny leaned over and whispered to Hermione "Look at my poor big brother. You are driving him crazy. It's mean I tell you."

Hermione giggled just a bit "I know but I can't help it. I just love it when he looks at me like that."

"Well how would you like it if the shoe was on the other foot? I'm pretty sure that if he wanted to Ron could tease you pretty badly as well."

"You know I wouldn't like it at all Ginny but it's only for a little bit longer. I just want to have him a little worked up before the party."

Ginny laughed "You know for a girl who has been called a bookworm her whole life you are kind of evil."

Hermione laughed "I'm not evil I just like being wanted don't you?"

"Yeah I do, I really love it when Harry's big green eyes start to flash at me."

At that moment Colin Creevy came through the portrait door.

"Hey Harry, Hermione, Professor Dumbledore wants to see you two in his office as soon as you can get there."

"I wonder what he wants?" Hermione asked Ginny.

"I don't know but you better make it quick. We have to get dressed soon."

Harry walked over to the girls table. "You aren't going to hex me for coming over here are you?"

"No Harry we are finished. We better go to see the Professor so we aren't late for the party."

"You wanted to see us Professor?"

"Yes Harry you and Miss Granger please come sit down."

"First of all I would like to tell you how impressed I have been with both of you this year. You are fine examples and should both be very proud."

"Thank you sir." Harry replied. Hermione just smiled and looked very pleased.

"I did not bring you here just to tell you that though. I know you have been interested in the workings of the order for quite sometime and we have been watching the both of you. Which is why it is my great pleasure to formally ask you if you would be willing to join the Order of the Phoenix?"

"Well of course Professor." Hermione smiled.

"You bet I am." Harry seconded.

They both smiled at each other and then Harry thought of something.

"Professor, what about Ron?"

"What about him Harry?"

"You are going to invite him as well aren't you?" he said with a glance at Hermione.

Professor Dumbledore looked at both of them and then said with a sigh. "I'm afraid at this time we will not be able to invite Mr. Weasley to join us."

Both Harry and Hermione started talking at once.

"Please calm down, I understand this may change how you feel about joining. I cannot tell you why we are not inviting Mr. Weasley right now. I can only tell you that we believe there are good reasons for doing so currently. In light of this I am going to ask you again do you still wish to join?"

Hermione looked at Harry and he could see she was having a hard time trying to decide what to do.

Finally she turned to Harry. "I'm going to join, I don't think it's right not to include Ron but isn't whats at stake bigger than getting mad about injustice?"

"I guess so." Harry replied.

"Well then it is my pleasure to welcome you to the Order of the Phoenix. If you will give me just a moment I will gather my things and then we will head to your first meeting."

"You mean tonight?" Harry spoke up.

"Yes we should be leaving in about five minutes."

"Professor can we send a message back to our common room. We sort of had plans and we need to let people know we are going to be late." Hermione requested.

"Of course Miss Granger I'm certain you can find someone in the halls to deliver that message. Of course you won't be able to let anyone know you have joined the order even Ronald or Ginny."

"We understand Professor." Hermione answered.

They went outside and started to look for a possible messenger.

"Hermione what are we going to tell them?" Harry said wearily.

"We will just say that we have been unavoidably delayed. Then we can think of something on the way back."

"You mean we can think of a lie on the way back?"

Hermione looked at him and he thought she might start crying but all she said was "yes.".


	32. Meeting the Order

Meeting the Order

Harry stumbled a bit as he landed in the Floo at number 12 Grimmauld place,then stumbled even more as Hermione came in too quickly behind them. When Harry looked up he saw both Fred and George walking by and they seemed surprised to see them.

"Hello Fred. George it's good to see you again."

"Hey you guys" they both said.

At that moment Shacklebolt walked by and saw them standing there. "Hello Harry, nice to see you Hermione." he said with a big grin. Then he held his hand out and both Fred and George handed him a handful of Galleons. Then he turned back to Harry and Hermione "See you in the meeting."

"What was that all about?" Harry asked.

George sort of flushed "We bet Shacklebolt that you two would turn Dumbledore down when you found out Ron couldn't join."

Both Harry and Hermione turned red and stared at the floor.

"Don't worry about you two it will all work out and there's plenty of work to do."

The twins turned to go into the kitchen where they had most of the meetings when Hermione interrupted them.

"Can I ask you guys a question?"

Fred turned and said "Why I didn't think there was anything you didn't know already Hermione." with a smile.

All of them laughed then Hermione asked her question.

"Ron would have turned them down if they didn't take us two wouldn't he?"

The twins looked at each other for a second then George spoke up "Yeah he would have."

"Enough of that though, we need to get you two into the meeting."

They all walked into the kitchen where a good deal of the order's members were already waiting.

"Wotcher Harry" Tonks said as she winked at him. "How are you Hermione?"

"Hey Tonks" they both said at once and everyone laughed.

Harry took the chair beside Lupin and started to talk to him while Hermione sat beside Tonks and chatted with her until the meeting really started. A few minutes later Dumbledore started briefing everyone on current operations in the field. That took about an hour or so as people asked questions and the two new member were brought up to speed.

"Now to new matters, Professor Snape has informed me that Voldemort has asked him to make a potion of Clarity. He believe that it will be given to Bellatrix Lestrange. I know many of you will be surprised by that as I think we all believe that Bellatrix's madness has made her a better Death Eater."

Hermione spoke up "Why is that Professor?"

"Well Hermione I know this will be hard for you to believe but before she went mad Bellatrix was not wholly gone over to evil. She was more interested in acquiring power and to be sure she had done some evil things but she was not totally lost. In fact in the very beginning we had marked her as one of the Death eaters we could perhaps redeem. Then Voldemort required her to get some information for the Longbottom's. Her normal methods did not work and she became quite fearful of Voldemorts wrath. So she broke them with the Cruciatus curse and in doing so started her decent into madness. So you see if her sanity returns she may very well be less reliable to Voldemort."

Hermione just nodded in agreement.

"In fact Miss Granger this is one of the reasons you are here. I would like you to research any possible uses that you can find for a potion of Clarity and keep me updated on them."

"I would be glad to Professor."

"Next I would like to ask Alastor how things are going in the training Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Weasley."

Harry shot Hermione a look but she was looking at the floor so she didn't see it.

"Well Longbottom is coming along better than I expected. Weasley is without a doubt the finest fighter I have ever trained. He has good physical skills, a fine and growing command of his spells and I believe a bit of intuition as well. The two of them should both be Auror's if they chose to do so. Though to be honest Weasley's other spells will never be the match of his combat ones."

"Thank you Alsator. Do you have anything to add to that Tonks?"

"You mean other than he should be a member of the Order?"

Dumbledore looked at her over his glasses. "Yes I mean other than that."

"Then no I don't. Moody said it all."

At that point Harry spoke up "Now that I am a member of the Order can someone tell me why Hermione and I are here but not Ron?"

Before anyone else could speak up Fred blurted "because some people here" looking at Lupin 'believe that my dear little brother is on the verge of going berserk and killing people."

Both Hermione and Harry looked at Lupin uncomprehendingly.

"Now Fred you know that's not what we said. I know this will be hard for you two to believe but we are concerned that Ron is a bit to willing to fight. He goes off on his own and that's not a trait that we can afford for an Order member to have."

"Yeah Merlin knows an Order member who actually catches Death Eaters wouldn't be helpful at all." George smirked.

"Let me get this straight. You guys are behind training him to fight but when he does fight you say that's a reason to keep him out?" Harry said.

"It's not that simple Harry." Lupin replied.

"It sounds like it."

"We are just worried that he might get a bit too fond of using the powerful spells he is learning. As Alsator noted he is a fine fighter often times those with the most ability become enamored of what they can do, so much so that the use those powers when other might suffice."

Harry seemed to be getting angrier by the second "So what happens when he has done all this training and learned all of these things and finds out he has been tricked? That you have created a fighter who you won't let fight?"

"Firstly Harry I don't feel we are tricking him in any manner as we do want him to be able to defend himself. Secondly we hope that soon we will have put our fears to rest and we can invite him in."

Harry looked at Hermione "Don't you want to say something." he said almost pleading.

Hermione smiled sadly "What can I say Harry? They don't trust him and I can't make them trust him."

"It's not about trust it's about security." Shacklebolt added.

"No it is about trust. Trust and belief, I guess it's just his fate to have people underestimate him. No matter what he does most people just aren't going to have faith in him. I mean if Professor Lupin doesn't and he's seen a lot of the things Ron has done then we can't expect the others too. Just let it go Harry, in all honesty Ron is too good for the Order." Hermione said sadly.

The others sat there looking stunned. Then the meeting moved to known Death Eater locations. A they went over them Harry and Hermione were surprised by the number of known Death Eaters. A couple of hours later someone brought out sandwiches and they had dinner. After dinner they moved on to long term planning and recruitment. Soon both Hermione and Harry we starting to get tired as well as many of the others. At that point Dumbledore closed the meeting

"Well we should call it a night. I know we all are tired and some people have patrols to do." Dumbledore said fighting off a yawn.

"Yeah Fred and I need to get some sleep. We have to both open the store tomorrow."

"Oh no" Hermione blurted out "What time is it?"

George looked at the clock "It's twelve thirty why?"

At the same time Fred said "That's right didn't you two have dates planned for some sort of muggle party at Hogwarts?"

Harry just looked Hermione horrified and the twins were both looking at them with grave expressions on their faces.


	33. The Golden Knight

The Golden Knight

Harry gradually woke up the next morning. By the time he and Hermione had gotten back to Hogwarts and over to the common room it was one in the morning. The only person who was still awake was Lavender and she told them how the party had gone.

"Well it was a pretty good party. Of course Ron and Ginny are not going to be happy with you guys for blowing them off but after a while they settled down and I think they had a good time. The big surprise was Neville, he and Luna couldn't keep their hands off of each other all night. Those two are getting serious fast."

"Was Ginny very angry?" Harry asked.

"No why would you think that? I mean her boyfriend only blew off the first event they were supposed to go to together to do something with his female best friend. It's not like Ginny has a temper or anything." Lavender said rolling her eyes.

'She doesn't think we were off doing anything wrong does she?"

"No Hermione she doesn't but it doesn't make her think highly of the two of you either."

"Was Ron very angry?"

"Well for an hour or so he was really quiet and then I think he just decided to have a good time. After that all he did was dance and hang out. I had no idea he could dance that well. Once people figured out he liked to dance and was good at it he had no shortage of partners. Anyway I'm tired and I'm going to bed. Oh Colin took a bunch of pictures with his new camera and they are over on that table if you want to see them."

The two of them grabbed the pictures and sat down on the couch. The first picture showed Seamus right as he turned into a canary. The second was of Neville and Luna dancing and they seemed not to notice the rest of the room.

"Wow Neville really has changed over the last year or so hasn't he?" Hermione remarked.

"Yeah he sure has."

The next picture was of Ginny and when Harry saw it his heart dropped into his stomach and flopped around for a bit.

"Ginny sure did look good didn't she Harry?"

"Ummm yes she really did."

Hermione laughed at him 'It seems that Weasley's are late bloomers but when they bloom they really bloom."

"Could we not talk about Ginny umm blooming ok?"

Hermione just laughed again.

"I'm serious Hermione we still haven't figured out what we are going to tell them."

"I wouldn't worry about what you tell me but you better figure out something good to tell Ron.' Ginny's voice came from the stairs.

They both turned around to look at her.

Harry stood up "Ginny I'm really sorry about the party."

Ginny walked over to stand in front of him "It's ok Harry. I mean at first I was really mad but then I realized that since both of you were gone it had to be something for Dumbledore. I gather from what I just heard it's something you can't tell me?"

They both nodded.

"Well then you better think of something good because he was furious."

"Really because Lavender said he wasn't that mad."

Ginny rolled her eyes "That's because Lavender hasn't lived with him her whole life. You guys think Ron is really mad when he blows up but that's just the tip of the iceberg. When Ron is really mad he gets very quiet but his eyes give it away."

"What do you mean by that Ginny?" Harry replied.

"Hermione will understand. Hermione you know how normally even when he's mad his eyes have that sparkle to them? Well when he's really mad it goes away and it's like looking into the eyes of a stranger. It doesn't happen often but every time it does it scares me." she said with a shudder.

"You think Ron would hurt you?" Harry stammered.

"Of course not, but it looks like he's trying to decide if your worth the effort of dealing with when he looks like that and if he should just not have anything more to do with you."

"You think he won't want to have anything to do with me?" Hermione said starting to sniffle.

"No Hermione but he was mad at the start and still might be. So like I said whatever you have to tell him had better be good. You know how he is about keeping secrets now."

"Maybe next weekends Quidditch game will relax him a bit."

"Heres hoping, we should really crush Hufflepuff, they aren't very good."

Hermione spoke up "Maybe we should go to bed and try and deal with all of this in the morning."

Both Harry and Hermione turned to leave but Ginny stopped them. "Wait before you go there's something you should see. Look at these bottom two pictures from the party."

She handed the first picture to them. "This is Ron in his costume."

Ron was wearing and suit of medieval chain mail covered by a red surcoat and belted across the middle. It had a heavy looking broad sword hanging from the belt. He was wearing leggings made of wool. To top it off the surcoat had the Gryffindor lion in gold on the front."

"When I asked him what he was exactly he said he was a Gryffindor knight. When I didn't understand he said it was an inside joke with you Hermione."

Hermione eyes got very bright "He really is wonderful."

"Yeah my big brother is but that's not why I'm showing you this. Right after this he was showing some people a spell he learned from Moody."

She showed them the second picture which showed Ron surrounded by a soft yellow glow that reflected off of his hair and the gold on his surcoat to bathe everything around him in a golden aura.

"That's cool looking Ginny."

Ginny looked at him sharply "Don't you see it Harry?"

"I guess I don't. Do you Hermione?"

Hermione looked very worried and just nodded.

"Well then will one of you please tell me what I don't see then?"

"Harry remember the prophecy? Ron is the golden knight.

As Harry laid in bed he started trying to work out what it all meant. Well what ever it was he need to get a handle on things.

"Hey Ron you awake yet?" he called out.

Getting no answer he got out of bed and walked over to Ron's.

"Ron you in there?"

Still getting no answer he pulled the curtains back to show Ron's empty bed.

Then he looked at the clock.

_That's why he's not here it's almost noon._

Just as he headed over to his chest to get out his robes he heard the door open behind him.

He turned to see Ginny and Hermione walking into the dorm.

"It's about time you got up Harry. We thought you were going to sleep all day. Besides it's lunch time and both of us slept through breakfast."

"Ok Hermione just give me a second to get dressed."

Neither Hermione or Ginny made a move to leave.

"Do you think I could meet you downstairs so I can get dressed?"

"Oh for Merlins sake Harry we've seen you in your shorts before."

Ginny just yawned again.

"Seriously Harry we need to go find Ron."

"Ok ok I'll do it like this."

Harry grabbed his clothes and jumped into his bed closing the curtains. A minute or so later he got back out to see both of them rolling their eyes.

They headed downstairs and out to the Great hall for lunch. They managed to arrive just in time.

As soon as they piled into their food Hermione looked at the rest of the Gryffindors sitting at the table.

"Have any of you guys seen Ron?"

Seamus swallowed a huge mouthful of food and replied. "Not since this morning. He and Neville got up early and went to go work on something. I heard them saying it was almost ready but I couldn't hear the rest as I was still half asleep."

"Hmm I wonder what they are working on?"

"I don't know Hermione but they sounded really excited about it."

"Harry do you know what they are working on?"

"No idea Hermione." He replied taking a break from his lunch.

At that moment Colin Creevy came running by and tripped spilling a bunch of photographs all over the floor.

Hermione and Ginny reached out to help him pick them up when Ginny started laughing.

"Colin why do you have a bunch of copies of this picture?"

He looked a little sheepish. "Well it's two pictures actually and I have them because people keep asking me for copies."

"What is the picture of Ginny? Hermione asked as she gathered up the ones she had so she could look.

Ginny turned the picture around and it showed Harry sitting on his broom right after a Quidditch match. He was grinning ear to ear and his big green eyes seemed to be twinkling.

"Oh my, Colin who wanted copies of those pictures?" Hermione asked smiling as Harry seemed to be choking on his food.

'Well..several of the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff girls. In fact this is the second set of copies I got asked for."

Hermione turned to Ginny with a big smile on her face. "You better watch out Ginny it seems a lot of girls have taken a fancy to Harry here."

Ginny smirked at her "Maybe so but at least I'm not alone."

Hermione looked at her not understanding.

Ginny turned around another photo. This one was of Ron , he was walking towards the changing room after Quidditch practice. He had stripped off his robes and shirt carrying them in his hand. His other hand carried his broom and he was looking off into the distance at something. He looked a bit tired and was covered in sweat.

Hermione looked like she couldn't decide if she wanted to ask for a copy or have a fit.

Before she could decide however Parvati spoke up.

"Padma told me that's a popular picture in Ravenclaw. She also said that the seventh year Hufflepuffs had enlarged one of their copies to life size on the wall of their dorm. Really though Harry's pictures are more popular in Ravenclaw though."

"I heard a rumor that the fourth year Slytherins have one of Ron as well but since no one I know goes to the Slytherin girl's dorms I don't know if it's true." Dean added.

"No one thought it would be a good idea to tell me this?" Hermione all but shouted.

They all looked ashamed and Harry had started smiling at her.

"We just assumed you would get angry and hoped you wouldn't find out." Lavender sighed.

At that point Colin got all of the photos back and after saying thanks scampered off to the Hufflepuff table.

"Why would I get mad just because some insipid silly girls have a picture of my boyfriend, blown up life size, on their wall, so they can stare at him all day, and all night?"

Hermione started to get up when Ginny grabbed her hand and asked her "Where are you going Hermione?"

"I'm just going to tell THOSE girls to take that picture down." She snarled gesturing over at the Hufflepuff table.

"I thought you said it didn't bother you?"

"I lied." she replied. Stepping out from the table, she turned and walked right into someone's chest. Looking up she saw a familiar set of blue eyes looking down at her.

Looking away from him she asked "how much of that did you hear?"

"Just the last bit he said" trying not to smile.

"I bet you think its funny Ron Weasley, don't you?"

"About as funny as being stood up at a party you didn't want to go to in the first place I would imagine."

Hermione felt her heart jump up into her throat. "Ron I'm sorry I didn't want to miss the party but I..." she let her words trail off because she just didn't know what to say."

"Yeah I am too especially after Ginny told me about your costume." he smile at her then continued "I have a feeling you can't tell me why you missed it and I'm not going to ask but let's try to keep that down to a minimum shall we?"

Still blushing she nodded.

Den spoke up "He's just mad that he won't get to see your costume Hermione. Ginny told us it was really hot."

Hermione flushed red then started to smile. "now Dean your just assuming I won't show it to him in private."

The entire table looked stunned, Ron and Hermione though just broke up laughing.

Ginny started laughing as well. "I think it's safe to say that it's not going to be quite so easy to tease Hermione any more."


	34. Quidditch and Pain

Quidditch and pain

Ron watched the Quaffle as best he could. The chasers had it at the far end of the pitch and he was willing to bet Ginny was about to score again. Then he saw Harry go into a dive out of the corner of his eye.

_Go get it Harry. Then we can end this before we totally embarrass the Hufflepuffs._

Somehow he managed to catch a glimpse of Hermione sitting in the stands even as he was watching Harry's dive, she was yelling and cheering Harry on.

_She looks like an angel in Gryffindor colors._

Then a loud cheer ripped through the pitch.

"Harry Potter has the snitch, Gryffindor wins two hundred and fifteen to forty"

His team started to land while fans poured out of the Gryffindor stands. Ron on the other hand just floated savoring a good clean game. The next game was with Slytherin and it wouldn't be anywhere near clean. As he just sat there he noticed two people on brooms flying towards him pretty fast.

_It's probably the Hufflepuff chasers coming to shake hands._

It didn't take him long to see that it wasn't the Hufflepuff chasers unless they had started wearing hoods. Just as he started to get moving a spell slammed into him and the last thing he could tell before he blacked out was that he was slipping from his broom.

As the game was going on the Death Eaters slipped into place.

"Remember cast the Emotion Confusion charm first then we will get the sample." the first one said.

The others nodded and two of them started to move around the tree line.

Once the other Death Eaters were in position, the four remaining ones stood up wands pointed at the crowd now pouring on to the field.

"Confundus Effusio" they shouted and the entire crowd was outlined in green for just a bit and then it faded. Then they use the Crucio curse once or twice before melting away as students started screaming and panicking.

Ginny had been just about to land when she saw her brother being pulled from his broom by two Death Eaters. "Death Eaters she screamed and then took off after the retreating Death eaters. As she chased them she noticed the one who had Ron slumped over his broom was moving Ron's body around as if trying to find something.

The Death Eaters started to fly lower and Ginny narrowly avoided hitting tree tops several times. After a good thirty minutes of chasing Ginny saw the Death Eater who had Ron pulled some sort of shiny silver dagger out of his pocket and reached for Ron's head. He made a quick cutting motion before Ginny could cast a spell. Then he pushed Ron's body off of his broom. Ginny managed to catch him just before they hit the ground though they both still landed hard. She rolled him over and looked at him glad to see he was still breathing. Picking her wand off of the ground she pointed it at him and cast "Ennervate."

Almost as soon as she cast the spell Ron started to stir and soon was fully awake. She told him what had happened asking "are you ok?"

"Well my ribs are broken again but other than that I should be fine."

'Well my brooms not so we will have to walk back to the school." Ginny snarled.

"Don't worry Ginny I still have all the money Sirius left me, I will buy you a much better broom."

"Have a told you how great a big brother you are lately?" she smiled up at him.

"All the students are accounted for except for the Weasleys Headmaster."

"Thank you Severus, I do have one question if you have a moment."

'Of course headmaster how can I assist you?"

"Can you think of any reason Death Eaters would try to take Mr. Weasley?"

"I can think of several but none that would be so pressing as to do it right now when the Dark Lord has so many other operations going on."

"I am of that opinion as well Severus. We need to find out what is going on."

"I will do what I can. I will be delivering the potion of Clarity tonight, perhaps I can discover what his plans are."

"Be careful Severus and know we value what you do for the Order."

"Thank you Headmaster and good night."

"Ron and Ginny will be all right Hermione."

"I know Harry I'm just scared it's been hours now and still no sign of them."

"I know what you mean. We've been though this before but this time seems worse somehow.

At that Hermione started crying "I know I have this necklace and it says he's ok but I'm still scared to death."

When Hermione started crying Harry reached out and pulled her over to him so he could wrap his arms around her. They stayed holding each other for a very long time.

Hermione buried her head in his chest. Then when she looked up at his face she saw deep blue eyes and a lopsided grin.

_Ron?I thought something happened to you._

Harry buried his face in Hermiones hair.

_Ginnys hair smells so different tonight, why do I feel so groggy?_

Hermione lifted her head and started to kiss Harry's neck.

_I'm so glad your safe Ron just having you back is making me warm and sleepy._

Harry ran his hand along her back under her shirt.

_Oh god Ginny you're so warm._

Hermione felt Harry hands run along her back.

_Oh Ron I love the way you make me feel._

Harry lifted Hermione chin and kissed her softly.

_Ginny Weasley I love you._

Hermione sighed into his mouth.

_Ron you are driving me crazy._

__

__

Ron and Ginny made it to the portrait door barely able to stand.

"I can't believe it took us that long to get back." Ginny complained.

"Yeah well we kept getting lost I think. Anyway were here and I'm dying for a shower.

"Yeah we both need one Ron."

"Well yeah but you more than me."

"I should have let you fall." she smirked.

Ginny looked at the portrait "Weasley is our king."

Ron rolled his eyes "I cannot believe that's still the password."

Ginny was laughing when she stepped into the common room. It was empty except for Harry and Hermione snogging on the couch.

Ginny screamed and Ron moved into the room beside her.

When Ginny screamed Harry and Hermione both looked at them.

"How did you get over there Ginny?" Harry asked.

Hermione just looked at Ron and then Harry and then back at Ron. "Oh no" she said and then put her hands over her mouth.

Ginny was standing there shocked and silent after her scream.

Harry looked at Hermione "Did we just....."

Hermione paled "I think so Harry."

"What do you mean you think so?" Ginny yelled "I just saw you going at each other"

Hermione looked at Ron who had gone white and whose eyes had gone from a deep blue shade to a blue ice color.

"Ron please say something, there's something really wrong here."

"You bet your ass there is. My boyfriend and my brother's girlfriend are snogging while we are running from Death Eaters." Ginny shouted.

Suddenly Ron collapsed on the floor and started having seizures. His body twisting and low growls coming from him.

"Shite" Ginny shouted 'Come give me a hand with him if either of you still give a damn what happens to him."

Both Harry and Hermione recoiled for a moment from the venom in her voice but then ran over to him.

"Ginny wake up Madame Pomfrey. Hermione and I will get him to the hospital wing."

Ginny nodded then left running as fast as she could.

Harry and Hermione lifted Ron as best they could between them and started for the hospital wing.

"Hermione did you mean to kiss me?" Harry asked as they moved quickly through the halls.

"Merlin no I thought you were Ron. Why were you kissing me?"

"I thought you were Ginny somehow."

"Harry, he's never going to forgive us is he?" Hermione said crying.

"He has to Hermione, he just has to." Harry replied, hoping he sounded convincing.

When they arrived at the Hospital wing they were surprised to see Professor McGonagall there. They put Ron on a bed and then Madame Pomfrey pulled the curtain around it and Professor McGonagall took them out into the hall.

"Ok what happened right before Mr. Weasley started having this problem?"

"Well we had I had just gotten back and we found those two snogging in the common room."

Professor McGonagll looked at Hermione and Harry "Is this true?"

"Yes professor it is but we were confused." Hermione stammered.

"You two didn't look confused from where I was standing. You seemed to know exactly what you were doing." Ginny yelled.

"Miss Weasley I understand your anger but please be quiet until I have finished."

"Yes Professor McGonagall."

"How do you mean confused Miss Granger?"

Hermione started to cry again "I thought I was kissing Ron."

Ginny snorted but didn't say anything.

"Listen to me for a second all of you. Professor Dumbledore and I believe that the Death Eaters used some sort of emotion altering charm to make the students panic even more than they normally would. If that is the case then it is understandable for that very thing to happen."

Ginny looked at McGonagall "Are you serious?"

"Yes Miss Weasley I am, of course the only way to prove it would be to use Veritaserum and I highly doubt that Professor Snape will go to the time and expense of making it for you."

"I have some.' Hermione said softly "I can go get it if you like".

"Miss Granger I am not going to ask you how you came to acquire that potion but I suggest you keep the fact that you have it quiet. Now wait here while I check on Mr. Weasley.

Ginny eyes watered "It's ok, if you are willing to take it I believe you."

Harry looked at her for a moment. "Ginny I'm so very sorry." He said crying.

Ginny ran to Harry and wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh god" Ginny said softly "Hermione there's no way Ron's is going to believe a spell did this."

Harry looked down "Why not Ginny?"

"Harry ever since he stepped into Hogwarts he has always come in second to you. Then this year he finally came into his own and even more importantly he got the one thing he really wanted, Hermione's love. Did you know he considered giving up Quidditch so they could spend more time together but then decided not to so he wouldn't demand to much of Hermione's time. Then he comes in and see's you trying to take away the one thing he wanted. Not even Veritaserum is going to convince him what he saw was wrong."

"Well then we will just have to make him forgive us." Harry said firmly.

"Forgive us..forgive us..forgive us......Oh no Harry the prophecy the, one from Egypt."

"You don't mean...." he started.

"Great Merlin, the children of the flame twice betrayed in one sad stroke." Hermione said sobbing "Harry, we are the ones who betrayed them."

Harry just looked at her.

At that moment Professor McGonagal came back. "Mr. Weasley is going to be fine he is starting the begining stages of the change."

"The change Professor?"

"It seems Mr. Weasley is indeed a Shapeshifter. The stress of tonight has started the chain of events that will lead up to his first full shifting. Though I suspect it won't happen for many days."

"Professor can we see him for just a moment?" Hermione asked.

"For just a moment then you have to let him rest."

Harry, Ginny and Hermione walked into the Hospital wing and saw Ron lying in the only bed. He looked drawn and tired, far older than his years would allow for.

Harry leaned over "Ron I'm sorry I mate. I didn't mean to do it and I'll make it up to you I swear."

When Harry finished Ginny leaned over him "I'll be here when you need me big brother. Try and understand, I really believe they didn't mean it."

After Ginny had walked back to Harry, Hermione lowered herself to lie on the bed next to him. She put her head on his shoulders and whispered "I know if you were awake you wouldn't want me to be here but this might me my last chance to hold you for a long time so I'm going to do it anyway. I don't know how all this happened but I didn't want it to. I have been waiting for years for us to be like we have been these past few months and I can't believe it's going to change. I want you to know this though Ronald Weasley, I'm not giving up. Both of us have changed and I know you can love me now. Knowing that I will never give up you hear me? No matter what, your mine now and forever. So if your dreaming about being free to have all those girls who think your so dreamy you can forget it. The prophecy says only though faith and hope will things be set right. Well I have always had faith in you and strangely even now I have hope enough for both of us."

Hermione ran her fingers along the lion tattoo on his right arm.

"I will not give you up to anyone, not even some Dark Queen."

Then she kissed him softly and walked away.


	35. The Calm before the Storm

The Calm before the Storm

"Hermione can you come down to the common room, there are some people who want to talk to you."

"Sure Lavender do you have any idea what it's about?"

"Yeah I do but I think it might be better if you heard it from them."

"Is it anything bad because to be perfectly honest I don't think I could deal with anything else right now?"

_No I'm certain I can't deal with anything bad right now._

The last couple of weeks had been stressful to say the least. Harry and Hermione had told everybody in Gryffindor what had happen the very next morning. To her surprise everybody had believed the two of them with out reservation. All the girls had instantly group hugged Hermione while the guys all slapped Harry on the back and told him it would be all right. Right as the meeting was about to break up Ron had gotten back to the common room.

Most of the people there were prepared for one of Ron and Hermione legendary rows but to everyone's surprise it didn't happen. In fact Ron was polite to everybody then he went upstairs and got ready for class. He didn't spend much time in the common room after that but when he was passing through he would say hello to Harry and Hermione and even exchange pleasantries. It was Lavender that noticed that he never smiled though no matter what.

_It might have been better if he had just blown off his steam at us and then maybe we could have worked it out._

"No Hermione it's not bad but like I said you need to hear it yourself."

Hermione carefully put her bookmark in the last place she had been reading in and went down to the common room. Waiting down in the common room were Cho Chang, Susan Bones and a Slytherin girl whose name she didn't remember. There were also just about all of the Gryffindor girls in there as well.

"Hey Hermione how are you holding up?' Susan Bones asked her.

"I'm great Susan thanks for asking. Ok I'm really not great but I'll be ok."

"Lavender said you guys wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes we do, we have heard what happened between you and Ron and first we want to say how sorry we are to hear it."

Hermione flushed a bit red "uh thanks."

The Cho spoke up "The real reason we are here is that we represent the girls of the other houses. We just wanted to let you know that no one from any of our houses is going to go out with Ron until he realizes the mistake he made."

Hermione coughed "But I was the one who made the mistake Cho."

"Well yes you did but you were under the influence of a spell. Both Ginny and McGonagall believe it and that's good enough for us even if it's not good enough for Ron."

"I'm grateful no one wants to take advantage of the situation but why are you all doing this?"

At that the Slytherin girl spoke up "Well we don't think it's fair and to be totally honest a lot of girls in the school sort of look up to you."

"Me?"

"Yeah you got your prince without acting stupid or being a slag or making a fool of yourself. It sort of gave the rest of hope that we could find great guys who would love us with out having to compromise. Then you got screwed over by this and well it made a whole lot of us mad. It also got us to thinking that maybe us girls should start sticking together more and not let the boys get away with so much."

Most of the girls in the room said "yeah' or just nodded but Hermione could tell that they were all in agreement.

"Thank you all for everything." Hermione said sadly. "But please don't be mean to Ron, he's not having a very good time of it right now."

Susan stood up and walked over to Hermione and sat down beside her. "Of course we won't be mean to him. He's one of the nicest guys at Hogswarts and he has helped me a lot while I have been here. We just don't want to give him an excuse not to realize he has made a mistake."

Cho Chang stood up "Well we better get back to our common rooms. We just wanted to let you know we are all willing to support you on this."

With that the girls all dispersed and the common room went back to normal.

_Since I'm already down here I'll go to the library for a bit before dinner._

Neville was wondering how long it would be before Ron finished working on that Muggle contraption. Hogsmeade was this weekend and he knew Ron had wanted it to be finished by then. As he approached the turn towards the library he head Malfoy's voice shouting "Desang..".

_Damn it what did he say I only heard the first part._

Neville looked around the corner to find Malfoy holding his wand at Hermione who had her hands up over her face.

"I thought you might like have those great big front teeth back Mudblood."

Neville pulled out his wand and went around the corner. "Expelliarmus"

Malfoy's wand went shooting out of his hand.

Neville moved forward and shouted "Stupefy."

The spell hit Malfoy and he slumped to the ground. Neville walked over and picked up Malfoys's wand.

"Hermione are you ok?"

She shook her head and Neville could tell something was wrong with her face.

"Hermione go to the Hospital wing and I'll deal with Malfoy."

At that she nodded at him and ran off.

Neville could tell Malfoy was coming to. "I'll give you your wand back at dinner Malfoy."

'I'll report you for hexing me Longbottom."

"No you won't Malfoy, because you would have to admit I disarmed you and took your wand."

With that Neville walked off heading for the Great Hall.

Ron reluctantly stepped out of the shower and started to dry off. His entire body ached and he was covered in little bruises. As he looked in the mirror he noticed that it looked like a big chuck of his hair and been cut off on the side.

_What the hell happened to my hair? My life just keeps getting better and better._

He pulled on his boxers and a pair of gym shorts that he could wear back to the dorm room. Then he finished drying his hair with the towel.

At that point Seamus walked in "Hey Ron, I know this might be a touchy subject but I was just wondering if you heard how Hermione was doing after her run in with Malfoy?"

"I haven't heard anything about it, what did Malfoy do?" Ron asked his eyes narrowing.

"Neville told me that Malfoy hexed her when she was on the way to the library. It seems Neville disarmed Malfoy and was going to meet him in the Great Hall to give him back his wand.

"He attacked her?" Ron yelled. "Seamus find Harry and have him go to the hospital wing."

Ron headed out of the showers at a run.

_This is it, I'm going to kill him. He's gone to far and this time he's going to pay._

Ron sprinted out of the common room passing Lavender and Parvati as he went by.

"Ron you might want to put on some clothes." Parvati giggled as he ran down the hall"

"I think your fine the way you are." Lavender sighed.

As Ron ran down the hall to find Malfoy all he could think about was how long he had been putting up with his crap and how many times Malfoy had hurt the people he loved. As he was thinking that he kept getting angrier and he started rumbling in his throat. Ron was coving ground fast and thought he would be in the great hall any minute. Then he felt a searing pain shoot through his whole body.

Two first year Hufflepuffs were shocked to see a sixth year run towards them in nothing but shorts but their shock turned to dismay when he shimmered for a moment and turned into a cat, a very big cat who kept running passed them. They ran screaming to their common room to tell a Prefect.

Neville walked over to the Slytherin table and tossed Malfoy his wand saying "Hey Malfoy I think you dropped this."

Malfoy smirked "You'll pay for defending Mudbloods Longbottom, just like your parents did.

Neville was about to draw his wand and curse Malfoy back to the Stone Age when a loud roar came from the great hall door.

Neville turned to see a lion running towards him. Neville thought he was about to die when the lion jumped over him and landed on the Slytherin table. Plates and platters went everywhere and the table groaned under the weight of the lion which had turned to face Malfoy and let out a thundering roar. Neville watched almost in slow motion as a wet stain formed on the front of Malfoys trousers and then Malfoy fainted.

The Great Hall was deadly quiet as everyone was afraid to move. Then the lion let out another earth shattering roar and it moved towards where Malfoy had fainted and picked his shoulder up in it's jaws.

Then at that moment from out of nowhere a small tabby house cat ran up and started running in and out of the lions legs.


	36. The Calm Before the Storm part two

The Calm before the Storm part two

Neville and a couple of other brave souls laughed as the cat kept running in and out of the lion's legs as the lion tried to follow it's movements. Finally the lion swiped at the cat slowly with its paw missing it. The tabby cat reared up on its back legs and waved it's paws in the air like it was going to fight the lion then jumped down to the floor. The lion followed it and slowly swiped at it again. The tabby stood on its back legs again and pawed the air but this time the lion rolled over on its back and pawed the air around the cat. Then it slowly put it's paw on top of the cat for a second and then pulled it back. Now Neville was sure they were playing.

At that point the cat started to grow larger until Professor McGonagall was standing in its place.

"Well now Mr. Weasley lets see if you are calm enough to transform back to your normal self."

The Lion just stood up and looked at her then it seemed to stretch until Ron was standing there, still just wearing a pair of gym shorts.

Lavender was the first person to speak "Well that may be Ron but it's not normal."

At that everybody started laughing. Then Professor McGonagall spoke up "Mr. Weasley can I assume that you won't maul Mr. Malfoy for the rest of the evening?"

"Yes Professor McGonagall you can." he replied. "I think"

"Very well carry on, I will see you in detention and we can work on your controlling your transformations."

"Yes Professor." Then Ron went over to the table and sat down feeling his stomach rumble. As he started to load his plate Seamus looked at him.

"Umm you might want to go put some clothes on mate, before the Hufflepuffs decided to hang you from their wall instead of your picture."

Ron looked down and then back at Seamus, then he shrugged his shoulders and got up to leave right as Harry and Hermione arrived from the Hospital wing. Ron reached out and touched her shoulder and she stopped and looked at him questioningly. He made sure she wasn't hurt with out saying a word and then headed to get dressed.

When Harry and Hermione sat down Lavender looked over at Hermione and said "You remember all of us saying we wouldn't go out with Ron until he came to his senses?"

"Yeah Lavender I do why do you ask?"

"Well I was just going to say you owe us big for that."

Hermione's eye got softer "Yes I do, now can I ask a question?"

"Sure Herminone"

"Why was Ron almost naked at dinner and why do I get the faint odor of urine from the Slytherin table?"

At that the Gryffindor's started to howl with laughter and regaled her and Harry with the details.

"Harry we are going to have to hurry if we are going to Hogsmeade. I have to be back at noon to take over patrols." Hermione said impatiently.

As she finished Harry came down the stairs "Ok Ok I'm here. Ginny said she would meet us out front."

They quickly walked out front to where the students were assembling for the trip and started looking for Ginny. It was pretty easy to spot Ginny due to the distinctive Weasley locks and they called her over to them.

"Hey guys I'm ready when you are." she said sounding winded.

""There's Professor McGonagall, I need to ask her something and then we can go."

"Ok Hermione we'll wait here but hurry up its Saturday." Harry laughed.

"Professor McGonagall?"

"Yes Miss Granger?"

"I was just wondering if there was anything else you could tell me about....."

"About Mr. Weasley?"

"Well yes I have been worried about him and now with his transformations starting I have been even more worried."

"Well it takes some getting used to I would imagine but he seems to be handing it quiet well. He has taken a rather lot of responsibilities on himself though and he does always look tired."

"I have noticed that as well Professor though I'm not in any position to say anything about it."

"You can always tell your friends what you feel Miss Granger."

"Well I don't think he believes I am his friend Professor."

"Oh don't you? Do you know that he makes sure both you and Mr. Potter are in your dorms every night before he goes to sleep in case You-Know-Who is up to something? Did you know that he has taken all of the prefect patrols today so you can spend the day with Mr. Potter in Hogsmeade?"

"He doesn't need to be doing that stuff Professor."

"Ah but he thinks he does Miss Granger. He has been hurt deeply and then with all that he still thinks of the two of you as his responsibility."

'I don't want him to think of me as his responsibility, I want him to think of me as...." Hermione's voice trailed off as she remembered she was talking to her Head of House."

"I understand that Miss Granger, perhaps it would be wise if you came by my quarters for tea tomorrow. I believe I have a story that might prove instructional for you to hear."

"I would be glad to Professor."

"Well then Miss Granger I will speak to you then. Enjoy your time in Hogsmeade and don't worry to much about Mr. Weasley. Perhaps a visit to your cottage would help you focus on the things you need to do."


	37. Speakig with experience

Speaking with experience

Hermione felt a little odd as she headed towards Professor McGonagall's personal quarters. She had been invited to tea and she was looking forward to it but it still seemed a bit odd to be having tea with a professor. The day she had spent in Hogsmeade with Harry and Ginny had been nice but it still was only a shadow of what it should have been. Both of them had been really good about not making her feel like a third wheel and she was very thankful. It still didn't make up for the fact that Ron wasn't there. Hermione started to get just a bit misty eyed thinking about how she and Ron still hadn't been able to do all the things in Hogsmeade together.

_Doesn't he know I need him, you can't just make somebody need you so much then disappear._

Ron hadn't really disappeared she knew. In fact she saw him every day in classes but that was it. He never came to the great hall to eat anymore and Harry and Neville told her that he wasn't sleeping in the dorms.

_Merlin knows where he's sleeping, for all I know he could be sleeping in the Hufflepuff girl's dorms._

Hermione immediately knew that she was way off base there. Not only had all the Hogwarts girls said they would leave Ron alone but also that just wasn't the kind of person Ron was.

_When Molly Weasley teaches a young man to respect women, they respect women._

That made her think of what Mrs. Weasley must have thought when she found out about what had happened.

_I bet I never get to go to the Burrow again._

Hermione calmed down for a second before knocking on the door to McGonagall's quarters.

Professor McGonagall opened the door 'Right on time as always Miss Granger, please come in and sit down."

Her sitting room was warm and homey though not in the same way as the Burrow. It was a bit more refined but not stuffy. Hermione guessed that was the difference between not having six boys and a girl constantly tearing things up.

"So tell me Miss Granger how was your trip to Hogsmeade?"

"It was fun Professor but in all honesty it wasn't what I had hoped it would be."

"Would that have had anything to do with a certain redheaded Gryffindor boy not being there?"

Hermione nodded "It's just so frustrating, I waited three years for him to notice me. Then he comes back from Egypt and he's perfect and I think I'm in one of those stupid novels that Lavender reads. Then I have to deal with him being almost as big a hero as Harry. It seems like I've gotten used to the fact that Harry has to be in danger but now Ron is the one getting hurt as well. I thought when he lost his eye he might not take so many risks but it hasn't slowed him down at all. He's just so...."

"Gryffindor?" McGonagall questioned.

"Yes he's so very Gryffindor and I love him for it but it scares me. Now I guess I don't have to worry about it since he and I aren't seeing each other."

"Well I take it you still have feelings for him then?"

Hermione blushed fiercely at the question "Yes I do Professor and it's driving me crazy. For years I have done my best to take care of Harry and Ron and now when I want to take care of Ron even more I can't."

Professor McGonagall handed her a small plate with biscuits on it. "Well tell me Miss Granger, have you let Ron know what you are feeling?"

Hermione looked down "No I guess I really haven't. I have been so ashamed about what happened that I haven't gotten the courage to tell him how I feel about whats is going on."

"So it's possible Mr. Weasley thinks you really do want to be with Harry?"

"He shouldn't, the whole school knows I only think of Harry as a friend."

"If you will take some advice Miss Granger I would talk to him before the holidays. It will be the last chance you have before you and Mr. Potter leave for the Burrow."

"So Harry and I are going to be staying at the Burrow? Then I could talk to Ron then."

"No Miss Granger you will not be able to. Mr. Weasley has informed me that it is his intention to stay here at the school over the holidays."

"But the Burrow is his home."

"Yes it is but Mr. Weasley is feeling very isolated mostly by his own hand I'm afraid."

"Then I will talk to him before I leave."

"I should caution you Miss Granger. Do not expect for one talk to solve everything. Just let him know how you feel and give him something to think about over the holidays"

"I will Professor. Can I ask you a couple of questions Professor McGonagall?"

"By all means Miss Granger."

"Firstly where is Ron sleeping at night and why does he always look so tired?"

"Well the answer to your first question is easy. He is staying in a shed behind Hagrid's cabin. It's not very nice but it's where he chose and since I was worried he would go the way of the twins I relented and let him stay there."

"The second part of your question is a bit more complicated. Mr. Weasley is training very hard in his Directed Studies classes. In addition he is spending a great deal of time working on keep his transformations under control. Then there is the fact he takes Quidditch train seriously. He has also managed to improve his grades a bit during this time as well and finally he and Mr. Longbottom are working on some sort of project together. I also believe that Mr. Weasley is skipping meals and not sleeping very well. In short he has wound himself pretty tightly lately. I doubt it can continue for very much longer."

"Thank you for everything Professor but I feel like I should be going now. I have some things that need to be taken care of."

"That wouldn't include taking a walk down by Hagrid's cabin now would it?"

"It just might Professor, it just might."

"Oh one more thing before you go Miss Granger. I think you might want to have a look at this. It's the research Mr. Weasley did during detention. It's a pretty through look into the process of becoming an Animagus. I think you will be surprised by the quality of work."

She handed Hermione a folio full of parchments.

"I look forward to it Professor but I bet I'm not surprised. I've known for a long time Ron was much smarter than he got credit for but he didn't believe it until recently."


	38. A Surprising turn of events

A Surprising Turn of Events

"Professor you wanted to see me?"

"Yes come in Mr. Weasley. I hope you don't mind but I asked Professor McGonagall to be here for our little chat."

"I don't mind at all Professor Dumbledore though I have no idea why I'm here."

"Well Mr. Weasley I have been talking to both Alastor Moody and Nymphadora Tonks and they tell me you are doing very well in your Directed Studies class."

"Well thank you Professor though Neville is doing well also."

"Both Moody and Tonks believe that you would benefit from some more hands on training and I am inclined to agree with certain stipulations."

"I'm not sure what you mean exactly by hands on training sir."

"What I mean are field operations Mr. Weasley."

"I was under the impression that I wasn't considered suitable by the Order so I can't think of how I could go on field operations."

"Have you spoken to Mr. Potter or Miss Granger regarding Order operations?"

"No sir I haven't, though I just assumed that if they missed that party they wanted to go to and were gone for that amount of time and they couldn't tell me about it when they got back that it had to be Order related. From there it was relatively easy to assume that if I wasn't invited that there must be some sort of Order related reason for it."

"I should have known you and Miss Weasley would figure it out quickly. Suffice to say the Order had its reasons and they have nothing to do with your ability. In fact it's your abilities that bring you to my office today. Your trainers have spoken of your desire to join the fight against the Death Eaters, is that still your wish?"

"Yes sir it is, if I can be frank I'm tired of everybody worrying about what the Death Eaters are going to do. It would be nice if we could make the Death Eaters worry a little."

"That in fact is why the Order considers you a risk factor. Now before you become insulted it isn't meant to be a negative. The Order of the Phoenix is based around the philosophy of containing the Death Eaters and looking to help Harry strengthen his power for his final fight with Voldemort."

"Well sir I will be there with Harry when it happens."

"I have no doubt of that Mr. Weasley though the reason I have asked you here is to gauge your interest in perhaps joining another Order."

"There are other orders Professor Dumbledore?"

"Oh yes Mr. Weasley there are many. We have found it better to work in many different groups with differing goals. Many of the Orders are very old, some are brand new. All of them are dedicated to fighting Voldemort. The main differences are how they go about fighting Voldemort."

"Well sir I would love to be able to do something to help. I can't stand sitting around and being kept in the dark."

"There are conditions of course to this. The first being you must keep your grades up at all times. Secondly you must return to sleeping in your dorm and eating meals at your house table. Thirdly you will not endanger any Hogwarts students while working for the order in question if they accept you. Fourthly you will work on a project I have in mind with Miss Granger, Mr. Potter and your sister. Finally you will not ever let your mother know I did this. Molly Weasley is one of the few people I truly am afraid of."

Ron laughed 'It's good to know I'm not the only one."

"I also feel I should tell you that we will set up special floo's for you to do your Orders business. If Professor McGonagall has any reason at all she will be instructed to close them off. So you should do your best to curry her favor and stay out of trouble."

Ron looked at Professor McGonagall "I will do my very best sir."

"Very well Ron, Tonks will give you a package with all of the information you will need to meet the people who can help you. Remember just because you aren't in the Order of the Phoenix doesn't mean you aren't very dear to us. It has been my privilege to see the three of you grow up, perhaps to quickly but none the less my privilege."

Ron stood up understanding his meeting was over. "Thank you sir, you won't regret it."

"I certainly hope so Mr. Weasley. One more thing Ron, it would do this old mans heart good to see the three of you walking the halls together. I won't speak for Miss Granger on the nature of her feelings for you, I will leave that to her. I do however know they both care a great deal for you and I can see how much you miss them written on your face. Don't wait to long for a chance to make things right."

Ron looked at him for a moment and nodded then walked out of the door.

As soon as Ron had left Professor McGonagall looked at Dumbledore. "Are you sure it's wise to help him join another Order?"

"No Minerva I'm not but you saw the boy. He's a fighter just like Moody said and if you cage that type they will snap in the end. There is also another matter to consider Minerva. I have come to believe that he must stand beside Harry at the very end. I can't tell you why but I believe it as much I do the prophecy. We believe the power Voldemort knows not is love but what if it's even more specific. What if it's devotion? What if it's Ron's devotion to Harry? I cannot escape the conclusion that they must be together at the end. If that is indeed the case then Ron will need all the training he can get."

"How can young men and women be such an important part of the fate of the wizarding world?"

"As you know Minerva all through out history extraordinary times have called for extraordinary people. In this particular time we cannot afford to ignore the contributions of anyone whatever there age. I wish we could protect them but I don't know if we can anymore."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hermione sat watching the snow fall from her dorm room window. It had fallen heavily enough last night to blanket the countryside but had since lightened to only soft flurries. It mirrored her own desire for quiet and contemplation. Downstairs the common room was ablaze with conversation and laughter, she however had tired of watching Harry and Ginny flirting with each other while they were studying.

_I know it's mean spirited but both Harry and I made a mistake and it seems like I'm the one paying for it._

As soon as that thought went through her head she dismissed it.

_Harry misses Ron as well just not as much as I do I guess. Well maybe just not in the same way._

As she started to draw on the frosted glass she noticed a figure walking on the snow heading down to the lake. The shock of red hair gave no doubt as who was down there even from this height.

_I'm going to go talk to him like McGonagall said. What can it hurt?_

Hermione bundled up in her heaviest coat and wrapped her self up with a scarf and hat and headed down stairs through the common room.

As she got to the common room people saw her all bundled up and started to ask her questions.

Ginny called out "Hey Hermione where are you going?"

"I'm going for a walk Ginny, hopefully with your brother."

At that most of the conversation in the room stopped.

As Hermione got to the portrait door she heard Lavenders voice behind her calling out "Good luck Hermione, beat some sense into him if you have to."

Hermione just smiled.

_I may have to do just that._

Ron had been sitting by the lake for ten minutes or so when Hermione found him. He had smelled her coming his way for a while.

_Just one of the benefits of being a shape changer I guess._

"How are you doing today Hermione?" he asked not turning to look at her.

"Much better now." she replied coming to sit beside him. "Its beautiful out here isn't it?"

"Yes it is but I hate this time of year."

"Why is that?"

"It's just that the snow is nice but it's not permanent. The real world is trapped underneath it and all you need to get to the real world is a little heat but you can't make the heat yourself you have to wait for it."

"I'm not quiet sure I understand Ron."

"Ok think of it like this; remember the ball in our first year? You used all that hair tonic to straighten your hair and you were beautiful but it wasn't you. You aren't the kind of person who has to do that to be beautiful, you already are beautiful."

"Ron look at me for a moment please."

He slowly turned to look at her questioningly.

"I'm so sorry about what happened. I don't know how it did or why it did and I'm not going to try and make excuses. I just hope that you will be able to let me try and show you what my real feelings are." she said very softly looking him in the eyes.

For a moment she was certain that Ron was going to get up and walk away then he let out a long deep sigh. "I'm trying Hermione I really am. There have been dozens of times when I wanted to come tell you how much I need you and right as I was about to do it I saw you and Harry kissing in my mind again and my anger got the best of me. It's childish and silly but I can't help it. Sometimes lately I feel like I can take on all the Death Eaters in the world and the next day I will feel like a little boy who wants to do nothing more than play Quidditch and read comic books. It's just so hard sometimes."

Hermione was quiet for a moment "I understand exactly what you have been thinking Ron." Then she bit her lip for a moment "Would it be alright if I hugged you?"

Ron looked very sad "I don't think it's a good idea right now."

He saw her face start to tear up and quickly said "It's because I think if I hugged you I would kiss you and I want the next time I kiss you to be when everything is back the way it should be. Can you understand that?"

She nodded and was smiling just a bit. "So you think you will want me to be your girl friend again?"

"Weasley men love hard Hermione and it's doesn't die easily."

Then he locked eyes with her for a second and for the first time in what seemed like forever smiled at her. "If you really want to hug me I just though of a way it would be ok."

She smiled back at him "However you want Mr. Weasley."

Ron had a look of concentration cross across his face and then he transformed and Hermione found herself looking at a one eyed lion who crouched down beside her.

Laughing with delight she threw herself against his side and wrapped her arms around him.

_How can he still smell the same?_

Up in Gryffindor tower several students looking out of a window started to smile to themselves and Lavender was the first to speak.

 "It's a start." she said.


	39. The Heart of the Matter

The Heart of the Subject

"Ok class today we are going to continue on with the subject of Human to Animal transformation. Now who can tell me the difference between a Shapeshifter and an Animagus?"

Professor McGonagall looked around the room thoroughly unsurprised that Hermione Granger was the only one with her hand raised. "Alright Miss Granger."

"An Animagus is a wizard who has the ability to turn himself into an animal. The animal is a pale reflection of the personality of the wizard. A Shapeshifter is a wizard who has an animal form. The animal form is a strong reflection of the personality of the wizard since in many ways the Shapshifter carries some of the traits of the animal when in Human form."

"Very good Miss Granger, ten points to Gryffindor. Now can anyone tell me are shapeshifters Beings or Beasts according to the Ministry?"

"Yes Mr. Longbottom?"

"They are Beings Professor and have been for over a hundred years."

"Well done Mr. Longbottom. Five points to Gryffindor."

"Now this class is in for a real treat. We have the good fortune to have a student with the shapeshifting gift among us and he has graciously agreed help with our class discussion. Mr. Weasley if you will please come up front."

Ron blushed a bit and went to stand in front of the class. Then he turned to look at Professor McGonagall.

"Mr. Weasley would you please tell the class what it's like when you are in animal form?"

'Well my sense are heightened especially my sense of smell and I have to concentrate to remember what some things are like doors and wands are for I also sort of think of all the people I'm around as three types. The first type is my pride, they are mostly Gryffindors and a few friends like Luna and Susan. The second type I think of are predators, these are the people I normally think are up to no good."

"What is the third type Mr. Weasley?"

Ron paled and then blushed "The third type is prey, Professor. Any one I don't think is part of my pride and I don't recognize as a predator is prey."

"Thank you Mr. Weasley, now when in your animal form can you tell the difference between students."

'Yes Professor in fact I can tell when people I know are heading my way in animal form long before I can in human. I can also follow people if I need to by the scent trails. I can also tell if they are male or female. If they are healthy or sick, young or old and.." his voice dropped a bit "if they are in a state of physical agitation."

"I don't understand what he means by physical agitation Professor." Neville spoke up.

Professor McGonagall looked at Ron and he finally said "Well it can mean angry, very sad or...aroused."

"Are you saying you can tell when girls are feeling randy?" Seamus blurted out.

"Mr. Finnigan that's not the way we speak in class." McGonagall chided.

Everyone laughed until Ron replied "Yeah I can." at which point all the Gryffindor girls started to blush furiously even Lavender.

After a moment Lavender spoke up "Hermione said you have some of the traits in Human form as well. Can you tell who is ran..in a state of physical agitation while in Human form?"

Now it was Ron's turn to blush furiously "If I'm in the same room with them I can."

"Wicked" Seamus laughed.

"If we can get back to the class discussion, if you would be kind enough to transform for us just a moment then we can discuss shapeshifters in their animal forms."

Ron got quiet for a moment and looked at the ground then he sort of stretched into his lion form and started to walk back and forth swishing his tail behind him. Then he walked over towards the Gryffindor students and started sniffing them. Soon after that he was rubbing his cheeks along Hermiones hips.

"Can anyone tell me what Mr. Weasley just did?"

Harry's hand shot up in the air.

"Yes Mr. Potter?"

"He's marking her with his scent. Basically he's saying she mine and I'm willing to fight for her."

Now Hermione was blushing furiously.

"Very good Mr. Potter ten points to Gryffindor."

Dean looked at Harry who just shrugged "I saw it on Muggle TV once."

By this point most of the Gryffindor girls had started to run their hands through his mane and over his back.

"I knew you had to be an animal to live in that house those disgusting Weasley's live in." Draco Malfoy said a bit more loudly than he meant."

Harry looked around for a second and started to make exaggerated sniffing sounds "Does anyone smell urine? Oh wait Malfoy must have seen Ron again." he smirked.

Malfoy turned white as a sheet and stalked over to the corner and flopped down.

Mean while Ron had rolled over on his back and was batting at the air with his paws. Lavender reached down and started scratching his chest and belly.

"Miss Brown you do understand that despite the fact he is in lion form that is still Mr. Weasley whose chest and belly you are scratching." Professor McGonagall said loudly.

Lavender stood up quickly her face flushed "I forg..." then she turned around to see Hermione whose eyes were blazing and had both of her fists balled up.

Lavender felt a sharp pain on her face and then everything went balck.


	40. Author's notes

Author's Notes.

Hi,

First I would like to thank all those people who have reviewed my story so far, it's nice to know some people enjoy reading it. I wanted to take an opportunity to explain how I see the Harry Potter stories evolving so that perhaps my story might make even more sense to the readers. That being said I won't be giving anything from the future of the story away.

Many people see the Harry Potter story as being one of a Hero and his sidekick. You often see this kind of story in Fairy tales and bad Hollywood movies. I don't see the story this way for several reasons. One, if Harry is the Hero and Ron is the sidekick then Hermione is relegated to a purely romantic female interest. I don't think that JKR being a smart intelligent female would write such a character. I also think that the Hermione character has, through her own actions, shown that she is far more than someone to stand around and giggle while Harry saves the world. Secondly the only real proof we have seen that Harry might be a really powerful wizard is how early his ability to manifest his Patronus showed up. To be sure Harry will be a good bit more powerful than your average wizard but to believe that Harry will become some sort of wizard god that smites Death Eaters with his cereal spoon is just crazy and has no basis in the published books. Thirdly, Hero's take responsibility for their actions. Harry wallowed in self pity about getting Sirius killed (and make no mistake he did get Sirius killed) but never really sat down and took responsibility without having a screaming pity fest. Fourthly it is my opinion that Hermione is the best wizard of all of them including Harry.

It is my theory that instead of the Hero/Sidekick relations ship that JKR has produced a literary triad form. The triad in literature has been around since before the written word. It began in an oral tradition and then was put on paper with the advent of written story telling. If the Harry potter story is indeed a triad then Harry is at the top for certain with Ron and Hermione supporting him. This is an important distinction between the Hero/Sidekick as a Hero can continue without his sidekick but a triad can't exist without all three components. Given this it is by no means a stretch of the imagination to have both Ron and Hermione to have special natures of their own. In fact it would make less sense for then to not have them.

This is only the beginning of my storyline that will encompass at least four or five fics. This fic will go to the end of the sixth year. Then there will be a fic covering the summer and then a fic that goes through the seventh year. After that there will be one covering the first couple of years after school and a final follow up fic. Also the chapters are going to get longer and more intricate as it seems like people would like that.

P.S. the next chapter will be up tonight.


	41. Reclaiming the Lost

Reclaiming the lost.

"Hey Harry you got a second?"

Harry looked up to see Ron coming into the sixth year dorms "Sure, what's going on?"

"This thing between you, me and Hermione has got to get back to normal. I'm tired of it and to be honest I don't even care what happened anymore. We haven't really talked in weeks and Hermione punched Lavender in McGonagall's class. It's just gone too far."

"Yeah Ron it has, for my part I'm sorry it happened and it definitely won't happen again."

Ron looked at Harry and smiled "Mates?"

"We always have been you bloody prat even when we both forgot it."

Ron walked over and stuck his hand out. Harry knocked it out of the way and hugged Ron before he knew what had happened.

"Just so you know Harry this doesn't mean I want to hug you instead of Hermione."

Harry laughed 'Well yeah I didn't think it did besides I have someone to hug of my own you know." Harry got quiet for a second "I know you have been talking to Ginny while we were acting like idiots but I wanted to tell you that she and I have gotten serious lately."

Ron looked at Harry sharply "How serious are you talking here Harry?"

"Not as serious as you seem to be thinking Ron but I am having some pretty strong feeling for her."

"Well that's understandable Weasley's are hard to resist." Ron smirked

"You know mate I don't think you are going to be smirking when Hermione gets back from McGonagall's office."

"You mean she's not back yet?"

"Nope and she going to be in a right state when she gets back."

"Your right there mate, well I better get in the shower before she gets back."

"How is your Directed Studies training going?"

"Pretty well though tiring, how about your training?"

Harry looked at Ron for a moment "You know about my training?"

"Well yeah Harry I mean if they are training me and Neville I know they are training you. I bet though it's not in the same things."

"You remember when you said I didn't have to fight the Death Eaters all by myself?"

"Sure do"

"Well it seems as if Dumbledore has come around to that sort of thinking. They have been working with me on Occlumency and Legilimency. I have also been training in learning some stealth spells and of course some combat spells though nothing like what you and Neville have been working on."

Harry sort of got quiet for a moment and then continued speaking looking at the ground.

"Ron I think they are planning on using you and Neville as shock troops to help me get to Voldemort."

Ron laughed "Of course they are but since I plan on being there when you face him it's ok with me. They are using all of us Harry but what choice do they have?"

"So you don't mind?"

"Not really it just saves me the trouble of having to follow you when you go after him."

Harry smiled at him "I don't deserve a friend like you."

"No you don't but if you chuck me a chocolate frog we'll call it even."

'Lupin told me that Moody said you were the best fighter he's ever seen."

Ron laughed "Well maybe so but did Moody also say he doesn't think I can get the N.E.W.T.'s in potions or transfiguration?"

"You still are having trouble in those classes?"

"Just like always, imagine if I am the first Shapeshifter not to get an O in Transfiguration."

"Maybe you could get extra credit for turning into a lion and not eating the reviewer."

At that both of them burst into laughter.

"Ron why haven't you ever beaten me in Defense against the Dark Arts classes?"

"I don't really know Harry it's not for lack of trying."

"Hey I'm going to shower after that you want to go down to the common room and play some chess?"

"Sure thing mate it's been to long since I've lost a chess game to you."

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The door to the Gryffindor common room burst open and Hermione rushed inside. Her face was flushed and her hair was flying all over the place. She took a quick look around the room and threw her books on to one of the couches. Running up to Seamus she snarled "Where.Is.He?"

Seamus looked up at her fearfully and pointed to the boys dorms.

Hermione ran up the stairs faster than anyone there had ever seen her run before. She ran into the sixth years dorm to find Harry sitting on his bed.

"Where is he Harry?" she snarled again.

"He's in the shower Hermione so you will just have to wait." he replied trying not to laugh.

She turned and walked into the showers leaving Harry with a stunned look on his face.

Ron had just gotten out of the shower and wrapped his towel around his waist when Hermione burst into the showers.

"What the bloody hell are you.." was all he got out before she interrupted him.

Hermione grabbed his hand and looked at him. "You can come down to the common room with me or I can bind you and levitate you down." she said looking him in the eyes as if daring him to say no. After a moment or two of silence she started to drag him out of the showers and headed for the common room.

Harry was holding his sides and trying not to laugh out loud when Hermione called over her shoulder "You better get down here as well Mr. Potter."

Harry followed them downstairs where it seemed that the entire population of Gryffindor tower had gathered to watch the upcoming fight.

As soon as she had Ron standing in the middle of the common room Hermione whirled around on him.

"I just spent two hours listening to how disappointed Professor McGonagall was in me and how Prefects weren't supposed to go around hitting their fellow classmates. I also have two weeks detention, two weeks because of you. So I want you to listen to me Mr. just because I'm tall and cute and can turn into a lion I don't have to be reasonable. This is how things are going to be from now on. Your mine, that's right mine and no one is going to ruin that. You're my boyfriend and you're going to start acting like it. Not only that but you're going to accept both mine and Harry's apologies and from now on we are going to solve our problems by talking to each other instead of one of us running off and going feral for weeks on end. Now have I made myself clear?"

Ron just stared at her for a minute and then slowly pulled her to him and with a smile that almost seemed to go from ear to ear kisser her. Slowly at first but with a rapidly increasing passion that seemed to set all of Ron's nerve endings on fire, when he heard Ginny's voice call out over the silence.

"I'm really glad your back together Hermione but could you please not snog my almost naked brother in the common room?"

Hermione took a step back confused for a moment. Her heart was racing and her face felt hot then she noticed that Ron was only wearing a towel. Then her heart really started to race and she felt herself getting even warmer in the face.

_Oh great Merlin he's almost naked_

Hermione took a couple of steps back as Ron grinned at her.

"Oh and before you think I'm done with you Mr. Quidditch star you are going to make up with Harry right here and now as well.

"Please tell me they aren't going to have to make up the same way." Seamus cracked.

The entire Gryffindor common room erupted in laughter

Harry spoke up 'Ron and I already made up and no not in the way they did either you prat."

Hermione walked over to Lavender "I'm very sorry Lavender, Professor McGonagall explained to me that it was like scratching Ron's back and I totally over reacted. Please forgive me?"

Lavender laughed "It's ok Hermione I know you have been under a lot of stress lately. I'm sorry I didn't think about what I was doing."

"Well yes I have been under a bit of stress but that's no excuse. I should have known better."

"Hermione I'm not a prefect or anything but maybe those first and second year girls shouldn't be looking at Ron in that towel." Then she dropped her voice a bit lower "it might also be a good idea not to let those seventh year girls keep looking either but for different reasons."

Hermione whirled around on Ron. "Are you still down here in a towel? Don't you have any shame, go get dressed and hurry up."

"Oh yeah it's close to dinner time." Ron said starting for the stairs.

"We're not going to dinner."

"Not going to dinner?" he replied sounding like she said he wasn't getting a birthday present.

"No we aren't."

"Well then where are we going?"

"Oh hurry up and get dressed we're going to the Astronomy tower."

As soon as she said it she realized she had let everyone in the common room know she was planning to go snog her boyfriend senseless. However before she could say anything people started to clap and cheer.

Ginny walked over to her with a frown on her face.

"Hermione are you planning on taking advantage of my innocent big brother?"

Hermione just smiled back at Ginny. "As often as possible Ginny, as often as possible."


	42. Brotherhood in the Dark

Brotherhood in the Dark

"Hey Hermione can we talk?"

"Sure Ginny what do you want to talk about?"

"Not here" Ginny looked around the common room "up in the dorms, it's private."

Hermione looked at her questioningly "Ok Ginny let's go."

They headed up to the girls dorms and Ginny passed hers and went to the sixth years. She sat down on Hermione's bed and look up at her.

"Ok this is a little uncomfortable but I have to ask. Are you having sex with my brother?"

Hermione flushed a bright red and looked at Ginny with her mouth open.

"Ginny Weasley why would you ask me something like that?"

"Look Hermione I know it's embarrassing and honestly I wish I didn't have to but I do. Are you sleeping with him?"

"Well not that I think we should even be having this conversation but no we are not. In fact I suspect we haven't taken our physical relationship as far as you and Harry have."

Ginny let out a big sigh "Well thank Merlin for that."

"Ginny would you like to tell me why you asked?"

"Hermione you are going to be spending the holidays at the Burrow and mum would know if you had and there might be trouble if you two were you know."

"You think you mum would somehow know if we were?"

"Oh she would know for certain. She always does, Bill and Charlie told me about when she found out about them and I remember hearing the fights with Percy, Fred and George. It's some sort of sixth sense she has."

"Well you don't have to worry about that. This is kind of odd though Ginny, shouldn't Ron be worried if you have had sex before not the other way around?"

"I know I complain about my overprotective big brother but Ron is the brother I am closest too. He has always been there for me and was the brother who didn't try and keep me from having fun all the time. I love all of my brothers Hermione but I have a special place in my heart for Ron. Ron isn't like the rest of my brothers. They all liked to date a lot of girls and broke a lot of hearts along the way. They didn't mean to it's just they couldn't be serious about one girl for the longest time and some of them still can't."

"Ron on the other hand fell head over heels for you and spent at least two years not being able to say anything about it. Since you guys went so very slowly finding each other he's going to be extra careful about things of a physical nature. He's probably going to make you guide things along so he doesn't ever make you feel pressured in any way."

Hermione was still a bit pink but her natural inclination to gather information was helping her to not be embarrassed.

"Well that's very sweet"

"Yes it is Hermione, I just want you to remember than underneath that big tall red headed exterior with the earring and the tattoo's is a guy who doesn't have a lot of experience with women and who is madly in love with one of his best friends. When the time comes for you two it is going to have to be you who lets him know its ok."

"You know it's probably a good thing we have had this talk Ginny."

Ginny looked at her for a moment. "Why, were you thinking about it?"

Hermione looked down for a bit and then looked back up at Ginny. "Yes I was, now I don't mean anytime soon but I don't plan on having anything come between Ron and I again. That being the case at some point we are going to sleep together if it's a few months or a few years from now."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ron looked around the chamber and didn't like what he saw. It was a stone chamber about one hundred and fifty feet long by sixty feet wide. The ceiling was arched and it's peak was at least thirty feet from the floor. At the end of the hall there were some sort of tapestries hanging from the ceiling.

_Well this has got to be it. The Floo was set up just to come here._

As he thought that he saw two figures come through a door at the far end of the hall and one of them waved him forward. When he got to with in about ten feet the first figure spoke out. "I understand you wish to join the fight against the darkness. We have watched your actions and judged your heart worthy. If you would join us you must swear an oath to our Order, an oath that can only be redeemed in blood. If you still wish to defy the Dark one then say so now.

"I will always fight V-Voldemort."

"Very well, our mutual friend has told you of the way our order works. You know that you will never know any of your fellow member's true names. Even if you were to meet them in a chance encounter you will never use their given name. This Order was founded by the Muggle king Richard the Lionhearted who learned of our world and of the existence of Dark Wizards. He created this Order in the last years of his life to fight the Dark Arts and those who would use them. Now kneel on one knee and place your hand on this blade."

Ron knelt and placed his right hand on the gleaming steel of the sword.

"Now young warrior repeat the Oath after me."

"I swear to never take arms against the weak, to strive to be a credit to my Order, to defend the helpless, to honor my lady, to war unendingly against the darkness, to respect the council of my elders, to be humble in all things, to save my wrath for the wicked, to despoil no maiden, to take naught but what I have earned, to be the shield of my fellows and the sword of righteousness, to in all things be as a beacon of hope to those lost in darkness."

Ron repeated the Oath sweat running down his face. Then the figure threw back it's hood and there was a smiling man in his late forties with piercing blue eyes.

"I as head of the Order of the Coeur de Lion welcome you my brother. I hear and will not forget that which is given here today. Now rise goodwarrior and come join your brothers."


	43. Alone in the Dark

Alone in the dark

The gentle snores of Neville were the only sounds in the sixth year dorm but Ron was still unable to get to sleep. The events of that evening kept flashing through his mind. Meeting the member of his new Order, learning the rank structure and meeting his new partner.

_My new partner, it still sounds odd._

I don't even know her name and until I come up with a nickname I won't have anything to call her. That was an Order tradition, keeping the members real names secret so it's harder for a traitor to identify the members to outsiders. It was also tradition for partners to chose nicknames for each other during their initial training. His Order was very organized with every member knowing their rank and place in it at all times. It might seem a bit restrictive to some but to Ron it all made perfect sense. All Order members worked in teams of two. The lowest rank team was the man-at-arms which indicated a team of two members who were competent wizards but not particularly powerful or creative. The next rank was that of squire, squires were two person teams composed of younger members who have shown promise of one sort or the other. Each squire answered to a knight. Knights are the two man teams who represent the finest and most courageous fighters. Then there were the support people, the Alchemists were master potion makers who both made potions for the Order and taught their apprentices. The Hospitalers were highly skilled Healers who both ministered to the Order and taught their skills to others. The last type of support staff the Order had was the Magisters, these incredibly well trained and focused wizards worked on creating new spells. They also created enchanted items, did a great deal of magical research and delved into all sorts of mysteries.

_Hermione would be the best Magister ever._

Then Ron's thoughts switched to Hermione and he smiled. He had been tired after his first Order training and was moving slowly when he got back to the common room. When he came through the portrait door he noticed the room was almost empty with a couple of seventh years sitting in a corner and Hermione in her normal spot on a couch by the fire. He had leaned over and softly kissed her on the base of the neck. Normally she would have reached up over her head and wrapped her arms around his neck but this time she had turned her head and gently bitten his earlobe. He had pulled her up into a kiss that lasted several minutes. When he finally drew back she had the most delightful smile on her face. Most people made the mistake of thinking that just because she was very interested in reading and spent a lot of time on her studies that she was somehow less feminine than other girls. He got a warm feeling knowing he was the only one who knew just how feminine she could be.

He loved her eye, they way they flashed when she was angry. The way they narrowed when she was focused on her studies. But most of all he loved the way they seemed to get larger when she was about to kiss him lately she had gotten into the habit of kissing his scars when they were alone. After they had been snogging for a while and needed to clam down a bit she would softly kiss the all the scars on his arms and then take a long time kissing the one on his face. She probably thought it would help him be less shy about the scars and that it also helped him regain control when his emotions ran a bit hot. He had stopped being shy about his scars a good bit ago but he so enjoyed her kiss that he didn't tell her. He also thought with a grin that it didn't do anything to calm him down. In fact her lips on his arm made his heart start beating like mad and it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest and run a couple of laps around the castle. Sort of like last night when she had kissed him good night. His hands had gone to rest at her side just about her hips. Her shirt had ridden up a bit and his hands had touched skin instead of shirt.

_Great Merlin I almost fainted, I am so sad._

Ron tossed a bit more and then settled down again. If I ever really touch her I'm going to have a heart attack.

_Ok you pig you need to stop thinking about touching her like that._

His mind started to wander and he saw images of her walking down the castle halls. Then she was laughing at something in the Great Hall during dinner. Next she was reaching over to pat his hand in Potions because he had messed up again. The scene shifted again and she was screaming at him in the common room right after the Yule ball. Then she was consoling him after his first Quidditch match. Now he was watching her leave with her parents after last year, afraid they would let her come back.

_It's always been her hasn't it?_

His thoughts took yet another turn, this time into the future. He pictured his first flat and to his surprise it wasn't like he had pictured it before. He had always pictured he and Harry sharing a flat and having lots of parties. This time though his flat looked a lot like the Burrow with comfortable furniture and a pleasant feel to it. It was easy to see that Hermione lived here and that idea made him happy to no end.

_What about Harry? Well Harry will just have to live there as well._

He sat up admitting to himself that he wasn't going to sleep. There was no way they were just going to leave Harry alone. He was certain that Hermione would feel the same way. They would just have to get two bedrooms. It might be odd for a while but I bet it won't take long to get used to. Ron peaked through the curtains and took a look at Harry's bed. It seemed that Harry was sleeping well tonight and that was different.

_Good for him, maybe he can catch a break or two._

Ginny had been good for him and in return he had been good for Ginny. It made sense, both of them had way too much first hand contact with Voldemort and it was something that really only the two of them could talk about. Harry smiled more with Ginny than with anyone else.

_That must be what I look like with Hermione._

A wave of Sadness rolled through Ron and he thought for a moment he might start to cry. Things were changing, he would always be there for Harry and he would always be his best mate but it wouldn't be the same. His love for Hermione was the best thing in the world and he would fight against all odds to protect it but it comes with a cost. Things would never quite be the same between he and Harry, Now they shared their deepest secrets and fears with others.

Ron shook himself.

_Now you're just being stupid. It may not be the same but you'll still be best mates for life._

_However long that is._

Soon unwanted images flashed through his mind. Luna taking the killing curse as she stood over a bleeding Neville trying to protect him. Voldemort disarming Harry and screaming "Crucio" over and over again. Ginny and Hermione trying to pull a battered Tonks to her feet. Lupin being torn apart by a dozen curses all at once. Dumbledore and McGonagall making a last stand before the Death Eaters got to the young students. His eyes wated as he saw Moody holding a door way so other could escape, the old warrior fighting to the very end. Fred and George lying face down over a pile of ruble, one on top of the other, united even in death. Death Eaters razing the Burrow, Charlie refusing to run, trapped inside the house as it collapsed. Bill carrying Fleur's body, tears streaming down his soot covered face. The image shifted and he was knelling beside Hermione's broken body as she gasped her last breath in the midst of untold carnage.

The images flew past, ever hidden fear manifesting in his imagination. Just as he thought he couldn't take it anymore, that his heart was going to burst the images vanished.

Replaced by two clear brown eyes, his heart stopped pounding and he slowly calmed down. Soon after that his eye lid started to feel heavy and he started to drift off to sleep.

Meanwhile in the Gryffindor sixth year girls dorm Hermione Granger was sitting up in her bed. Her hands slowly stroked a beautiful garnet necklace and she whispered "just sleep, just sleep."


	44. Connections

Connections

The storm was really starting to make some noise now and the wind had picked up a great deal in the last hour. From his spot on the roof he was only mildly exposed to the gusts yet the feeling of excitement the storm brought with it swept through Ron.

_I guess I have always loved storms._

He had known about this protected spot on the roof since third year when he had followed some older students out here one day and it became one of his favorite spots on the grounds. It was a great place to think and it was also a nice spot to come with a couple of friends. At night you had a great view of the clear country sky. When you sat and looked at the glory of the cosmos unfolded in the night sky you got a sense of how little you were in the grand scheme of the universe. This always made Ron relax and helped to lessen the pressures he felt.

As he sat their quietly the door opened from the inside and Harry came out onto the roof. He handed Ron a bottle of butterbeer and sat down.

"Enjoy the drink, it's the last of our supply." Harry said opening his.

"Well the holidays are almost here and we can get some more then. I need to go to Diagon Alley before Christmas anyway."

"You think we can get permission?" Harry questioned.

'Well to be honest Harry I wasn't planning on asking, I'm just going to go. I have to Floo back and forth to the castle to take care of stuff during the holidays so I should be able to get away. You want to meet me there?"

"You bet I do mate. I take it we won't be telling Hermione about this?"

"You bloody well better not tell her" Ron said laughing "She would worry the whole time about us breaking the rules. Not to mention if she asked me not to go I wouldn't and I need to get her a present."

They both sat silently for a few minutes then Harry looked at Ron "You really do love her don't you?"

"Yeah mate I do, I know it's hard for you to understand because she's the same Hermione who's been our best mate since first year but I am mental about her."

"Well I am happy for both of you and at least now when you two fight it's not quite so bad."

Ron just smiled at him. "So how are things with Ginny going?"

"Pretty good mate, finding my self going out with my best friend's sister was a little nerve wracking at first but it just keeps on getting better."

"Are you getting serious with my little sister?"

"Well yes and no, we are getting more serious but not like you and Hermione are."

"Yeah it's scary sometimes how close we have gotten but I wouldn't give it up for anything."

Ron took another drink of his butterbeer "You know mate we haven't had as much time together this year as we have had beforeand I've missed it."

Harry looked a bit sheepish "Me too mate."

"Well I've been thinking about it and while we both want alone time with our girlfriends we just need to start thinking of ourselves as foursome instead of a trio."

"So you still refer to Hermione as your girlfriend?"

"Of course, what else would I call her?"

"How about your bride to be?" Harry smirked.

"You might be rushing things there a bit Harry."

"Are you saying you don't think about it?"

"Well of course I have but it's in the future if we even have one."

Harry looked at Ron sharply "You don't think we are going to win?"

"Of course we are going to win Harry but how many of us are going to die winning?"

"We'll just have to take care of each other Ron."

"Yeah I guess so, Harry if something should happen to me I need you to look after Hermione and Ginny for me."

"Nothing is going to happen to you mate except that you are going to become an even bigger hero when we defeat Voldemort."

"I have been thinking about what I want to do after we kill him. I used to think I wanted to be an Auror but now I'm not so sure."

"Well what else have you been thinking about doing if you don't become an Auror?"

"Well I was thinking about opening a second hand broom store in Hogsmeade. I have the money Sirius left me and I think he would like the idea of selling brooms to people who don't have the money to buy a new one. Plus Hermione is bound to end up teaching here at Hogwarts at some point isn't she?"

Harry's smile seemed to split his face "Well I'm sure Sirius would love the store idea and you do know your brooms. Though I did notice you were basing what you end up doing on where Hermione end's up."

Ron just laughed "Yeah well I believe it was a certain best friend of mine who first told me I had it bad for her."

While they were still laughing the door opened for the inside and Ginny stuck her head out. "We thought you guys might be out here."

"We?" Harry questioned.

"Yeah me and Hermione" Ginny answered as she crawled outside followed by Hermione.

Ron yawned "Sorry I haven't been sleeping well the past few night though I think that's going to change."

"Why do you think that?" Ginny replied.

Ron looked right into Hermione's eyes and laughed "Let's just say my guardian angel has been looking out for me."

Hermione smiled at him and leaned over whispering into his ear. 'You know you never did see my Halloween costume."

Ron eyes got bigger and Hermione could feel his heart start to beat faster as she sat lying against him.

"You shouldn't tease me like that Mione."

"If you insist" she smiled "but I do love it so"

His voice dropped even lower "Hermione did you know I was having trouble sleeping last night somehow?"

She nodded and showed him the necklace he had given her.

A knowing look was quickly followed by a painful expression and then a faint blush.

"So you saw the horrible things I started thinking about?" he asked not looking at her.

She put her hand on the side of his face and turned him back to look at her. "Yes I did and I want you to know we are all going to do our best to make sure those things don't happen but it's not your responsibility to keep everyone safe."

Then she gave him a very warm smile that seemed to have a profound effect on him physically "Besides not all the things you were thinking about last night were bad. Some of them were quite enticing."

"Hermione are you tying to kill me?" he nervously replied, his heart racing as he looked over to make sure Harry and Ginny couldn't hear her. Luckily they were whispering to each other and not paying him and Hermione any attention.

She slowly leaned in and pressed her chest against his, softly murmuring into his ear. " No my love I was merely giving you a glimpse of what you have to look forward to."


	45. Home?

Home?

He couldn't see, the smoke was every where. How did they get separated? Where were they? Stumbling along he tripped over something. Struggling to get back up he saw Hagrid's lifeless form lying on the ground.

_Oh Merlin Hagrid....._

Having gotten back to his feet he heard fighting off to his right where several flashes of light broke up the night sky. He saw Luna and Neville fighting with six or seven Death Eaters. Keeping low he ran over to where they were using a pile of rocks as cover.

"Neville did you see which way Hermione and Harry went?"

"Thank Merlin you're here Ron. I haven't seen them in a long time. The three of us should be able to finish these Death Eaters and then we can go help them."

Ron nodded and fired a spell back at the Death Eaters hitting one and sending him spinning. Then he changed positions just a bit to get a better angle on them when we heard Ginny shouting for help.

"I'll be right back Neville I'm going to get Ginny."

Neville just nodded grimly and turned back to the Death Eaters.

Ron ran towards Ginny's voice stunning a Death Eater on the way there. He saw her crouched behind a tree trying to fight off several Death Eaters and a few Dementors.

"Expect Patronum" he yelled sending his Patronus towards the Death Eaters.

The Dementors scattered and fled.

"Oh Ron I am so glad you are here. I thought I was dead."

"Your ok now Ginny. Now let's finish these guys and go help Neville and Luna."

Ginny nodded and both of them cast their spells at the same time. Both their spells struck home and downed two of the Death Eaters.

Ron was about to move far to the right to get a flank on the remaining Death Eaters when he heard Hermione's voice calling him. Ginny looked at him and said "Go get her I'm fine here."

Ron nodded and ran to where he thought Hermione was calling from. It took him a while to find her. She was sitting with her back to a tree and she was trying to hold off two Death Eaters. Ron caught one in the back with a stunner and then brought his fist down on the back of the remaining Death Eaters neck. The second Death Eater crumpled to the ground from the force of the blow. Ron quickly ran to Hermione side to see if she was all right.

"Mione are you ok?"

"Yeah" she grimaced "I think my leg is broken but mostly I'm fine." Then her face went white.

"Ron see that cottage, Harry went in there after Voldemort. You have to go help him."

"I'm going to get you out of here and then I'll go help him."

"Ron no, you have to go now. Harry has to win and you promised to be there when the time came."

"I can't just leave you like this." he scowled.

"You have to; I'll be fine now go help Harry so this can all end."

Ron kissed her one the forehead "I'll be right back and get you some place safe."

He started towards the cottage at a run hoping he wasn't too late.

Ron ran through the cottage door then looked around. He couldn't tell where Harry had gone but then he heard a very cold voice coming from the next room.

"It's so nice of you to save me the trouble of hunting you down Potter."

"It's time to finish this nightmare Tom."

Both of them pointed their wands at each other and screamed the same words in two voices.

"Avada Kedavra"

Ron sprinted for Harry as fast as he could.

_If I can just knock him out of the way._

The Voldemorts spell hit Harry a split second before Ron got to him. Harry looked just a little surprised as the spell hit him and then Ron had knocked him over. Ron jumped up and whirled to face Voldemort only to find him lying on the ground. Ron grabbed Voldemorts wand quickly incase it was some sort of trap. Then he turned to Harry speaking rapidly. "Brilliant mate you really did it......" only to see Harry lying on the ground not moving.

_Oh no_

Ron fell to the floor beside Harry looking for signs of life. His eyes were wide and unresponsive and he didn't look like he was breathing. It was the most peaceful he had seen Harry in months.

_How am I going to tell Hermione. Merlin I've got to get back to Hermione._

Ron raced out of the cottage to where he had left her sitting by the tree. When he got out of the cottage he saw a Dementor floating over her.

"Expecto Patronum"

His Patronus tore through the Dementor and he rushed to her side to see her staring up at the sky, her face totally devoid of express or recognition.

_Not the Kiss, please not the kiss_

Tears started to fall down Ron's face as he pulled her to him and rocked back and forth. Then he remembered the others and stood up.

_Forgive me Mione I have to try and save them._

He arrived at the place he had left Ginny using the Furarte Manus spell to take out the last Death Eater. He didn't have to search long for Ginny, he found her lying in the grass looking for all the world like a sleeping angel.

_Only this angel isn't going to wake up is she?_

He hurried to where he had left Neville and Luna finding them piled one on top of the other right where he had abandoned them. It seemed Luna had died last and had managed to slip her hand into Nevilles before she died. The tears were pouring now as he looked at their broken bodies.

_I should have saved them. I should have saved them all._

Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Neville, Luna he had let them all die. He hadn't been fast enough or strong enough. He turn to the nearest tree and started slamming his fist into it screaming as the pain shot up his arm.

_What does it matter if you win if everything good dies?_

_----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Ron jumped up in the train compartment and looked around wildly. Everyone looked at him concern etched on their faces. He had started moaning in his sleep about five minutes before and they had gotten increasing worried. He reached out and grabbed Hermione and pulled her to him.

"I won't let them hurt you, I won't. Don't you leave me do you hear?" he was almost shouting and people were starting to come into the halls from the other compartments.

Ron released Hermione with one arm and used the other to grab Harry. "You either do you hear me?"

He looked around the compartment "None of you are going anywhere I won't let them do it."

At that moment the compartment door open and Malfoy smirked at them. "I always knew the Weasel King would snap. I guess that happens when you are worried about money all the time."

Before anyone could say anything Ron grabbed Malfoy with his left hand around the throat and slammed him against the wall. His other hand griped his wad and he had put the tip of it right between Malfoys eyes when the train whistle announced they had arrived at the station.

A/N I won't be able to update again until this Sunday but I will have at least two chapters to put up then and I believe they are going to be much longer and more detailed.


	46. Breaking Down

Breaking Down

Fear was every where. Malfoy was all but drowning in it. Even his friends were afraid and it made it hard to concentrate. His body was shaking but the tip of his wand remained steady resting between Malfoy's eyes.

_I should just do it now. It's not like he will ever be any good. Hell if I don't kill him now I'm responsible for all the people he hurts from now on._

As he stood there shaking in hisrage he felt a cool hand settle on his arm. Turning to see who it was he found himself staring into those great big brown eyes.

_How can she be so impossibly beautiful?_

Hermione slowly ran her hand down his arm until her hand was resting on Ron's wand hand. Ever so slowly she gently pulled his hand away until she had taken his wand from him.

Ron kept looking her while his left hand kept Malfoy pinned to the wall by his throat.

"Mione you know I have to do it at some point. He's evil and he won't stop being that way."

She turned his wand hand over and softly kissed the palm of his hand.

"Maybe so Ron but not like this, not in anger."

Malfoy's face had gotten paler as he slowly began to understand what they were talking about.

Ron looked at Hermione for a very long time then let Malfoy go. He turned to look at him with a scowl on his face.

"If you keep pushing me Malfoy you are going to end up just like Lestrange. You might want to keep that in mind."

Malfoy straightened and seemed to be trying to regain his dignity when he was hit by a hex coming from behind Ron. At that he ran out into the passage way yelling as something swirled around his face.

"I keep telling you guys my Bat-Bogey hexes are something to be feared." Ginny cackled.

Hermione glared at Ginny for a moment until Ginny spoke up. "Oh come on Hermione, that git really did deserve to have something bad to happen to him."

"Now that it is all over can anybody tell me why I was attacking Malfoy?" Ron said softly.

Everyone in the compartment turned to look at him for a moment until Hermione took his hand again and spoke up. "We had been on the train back to King's Cross for about half an hour when you fell asleep. A few minutes after that you started tossing and turning. I tried to wake you but I couldn't. Then you started moaning, which soon turned to yelling. Malfoy walked in and started speaking when you woke up."

"Bugger, it's getting worse."

"Whats getting worse Ron?"

"Oh it's nothing Hermione. Just having a bit of trouble sleeping is all."

"Oh don't you tell me it's nothing Ron Wealsey. Now what is wrong with you."

"Really it's just that love. Neither Harry or I sleep very much these days."

Neville, Luna, Hermione and Ginny turned to look at Harry as well.

"Is that so? Well Harry do you have something you want to tell me?" Ginny said a bit sharply.

Harry shot Ron a look as he softly said. "Ok I admit it I'm not sleeping either. One or the other of us are always having nightmares. Neville, Seamus and Dean have to charm their beds so they won't hear the noise but Ron and I need to be able to hear each other in case I feel Voldemort in my head again."

Their friends just looked around the room uncomfortably.

"It's only going to get worse at home too." Ron mumbled.

"Why do you think that Ron?" Neville surprisingly asked.

"It's quite obvious sweetheart that he stays calm around Hermione and she told us earlier that her plans had changed and she was going to be going home instead of staying with Ron's family." Luna smiled serenely.

Ron looked at her sharply then nodded. 'That's it alright, she's the only one who can calm me down sometimes and it's going to be hard without her."

Hermione smiled at him "You will be fine Ron, really you still don't know how great you are."

"I'm not the one who's great here." he wrapped his arms around her and leanedcloser to smell the skin at the base of her neck.

"That's what I have been talking about" Ginny blurted out.

Ron and Hermione looked at her strangely.

"We have been talking about you guys lately. How the two of you seem to have such an intimate relationship even though you haven't gotten very physical yet."

Ron stared at her for a minute. "How do you know we haven't gotten physical yet?"

"Hermione told me." she stated simply.

Ron turned Hermione around to glare at her "You have been talking about our sex life or lack there of to my sister?"

Hermione flushed but didn't back down "She's my friend too you know and I need a female friend to talk to unless you would like me telling our secrets to Lavender."

Ron grew pale at the thought of Hermione telling Lavender things about him "Well of course not but why do you have to tell anybody at all. I mean I don't tell Harry about us."

"Thank Merlin." Harry sighed from behind them.

Hermione smirked at Harry "It's just different for girls Ron. Sometimes it seems so serious for you and I and I talk to Ginny so I can sound out what I am thinking."

"You think maybe we have gotten to serious?" he asked in a low voice that almost made Hermione's heart break with the worry it carried.

The smile she gave him drove away any doubts he might have had. "No I don't you great big prat. It's just nice to have someone to talk about things I don't have any real experience with."

"I guess I can live with that." Ron laughed.

"Good because as I have said before, you are mine and I'm not giving you up ever."

He picked her up and spun around laughing "I intended to hold you to that Miss Granger for at least the next hundred years."

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It seemed as if the entire Weasley family had turned out to see them arrive. Ron noticed that the Grangers were standing with his family and that his father and Mr. Granger seemed to be getting on well. He had barely gotten his trunk out when hefelt his mother envelope him in one of her hugs. After a considerable amount of uncomfortable squeezing she stepped back to look at him. Only then did Ron remember we hadn't seen his family other than Bill since before he went to Egypt.

"Oh Ron" his mother wept as she saw the leather eye patch. His dad seemed to take it only a little better. "How have you been son?"

Ron smiled at them both "I've been good dad, I even got my grades up a bit."

His mother smiled at him "Well I bet a lot of that is due to Hermione rubbing off on you."

Fred and George walked up at that moment

"Well it seems…." Fred laughed

"....that little Ronniekins is becoming quite the celebrity." quipped George.

"I wonder if he will still talk to us?" they both said in unison.

Ron just laughed at them and pulled them into a hug. Then he whispered "I need your help. I will tell you about it back at home."

They both nodded slightly.

_They are probably proud I am going to do something sneaky._

Just then Mrs. Weasley caught sight of Harry, Ginny and Hermione who had gotten their belonging and said good bye to some friends. She grabbed and hugged them eachin turn.

"Excuse me Ron but Mrs. Granger and I would like to speak to you."

Ron looked up to see Mr. Granger and he nodded to him and followed him to where Mrs. Granger was standing.

"I know you are probably disappointed that Hermione won't be staying at your house for Christmas but we both miss her terribly and just couldn't stand not to have her with us." Mrs. Granger said.

Ron could understand that and told them so.

"That's why we would like you to come visit us a few days before Christmas and celebrate with us. Then all of us will go over to the Burrow the day of Christmas."

"I would be honored to stay with you sir." Ron replied.

Mrs. Granger smiled at him "Well then let's go back over to your parents and get Hermione shall we?"

They walked back over to the Weasleys where Mrs. Weasley had still not let Hermione go.

"You have been so good for my Ron. Do you think you could get him to be a bit more careful Hermione?"

Hermione looked over at Ron for a moment. "Probably not Mrs. Weasley, I love how brave he is but sometimes I just want to kick him for being so reckless."

Ron just looked at the ground while Ginny and Harry both struggled and failed not to laugh at his discomfort.

"Well Hermione we should get going." Her father spoke up. "Ron we will have Hermione owl you about when you should come over."

"Yes sir" Ron replied and looked at Hermione. He expected her to reach up and kiss him on the cheek. So he leaned down to make it easier when she kissed him full on the lips. It wasn't passionate; in fact it was the sort of kiss no parent could complain about. It was however long, so long in fact that everyone there saw it for what it was. It was a statement, Hermione was saying in no uncertain terms that this was who she loved and while it would be nice if both sets of parents accepted it, it was by no means necessary.

Hermione's parents both looked at each other, Mrs. Granger was trying to hold back a smile and doing a poor job of it. Mr. Granger looked as if he couldn't decide if he should smile or scowl. When Ron put his arm around Hermione and looked up at the Grangers, Mr. Granger knew he wanted to smile. "The boy has guts." he thought, "maybe enough to keep my little angel safe."

Ron watched Hermione leave with her parents and when they had finally moved out of sight he turned back to his family with a sigh.

"Little brother you have it bad." Fred commented, his normal joking tone absent.

"You two don't know the half of it." Ginny smirked.

Harry decided to pile into the conversation as well.

"Oh yes, a few weeks ago Hermione punched Lavender for flirting with him."

Fred and George turned to look at Harry.

"You mean our perfect….." George started.

"….prefect got into trouble?" Fred finished.

"Over our little brother?" they jointly laughed.

"You should have been there." Harry snickered. "She punched Lavender in Transfiguration class. Then after her meeting with Professor McGonagall she came into the common room and told Ron that he was hers and he had better start acting like it."

Ron had gone beet red at this turn in the conversation when the one voice that could make things worse added to it.

"Well Ron I guess you had better start doing what Hermione says." his mother said with a smile.


	47. One point in Time

Tradition

The steam from the shower had cloaked the room in a thick mist. The showers at the Burrow always ran out of hot water long before this ever happened but it seemed wonderful to Ron. Spending the last three days training with his Order had left him battered and bruised but still it was nice to be doing something. He had returned the first two nights to Hogwarts and then from there to the Burrow. That way he wouldn't have to lie to his mother those mornings when he said he was going to school for some extra training. This was the first night he was going to spend in the Orders chapter house and he was looking forward to it. The room he had been assigned wasn't very large and most of it was taken up by the bed but it had a nice fire place and the bed was comfortable.

Lord Talon, the Head of the Order, had told Ron he was going on a non-combat mission in the morning, and then he was going to meet Harry in Diagon Ally after lunch so he could do some shopping and just hang out with his best mate. As the hot water slowly washed the tenderness from his muscle he thought back on the last three days and all he had learned.

He had finally chosen a nickname for his partner. He hadn't thought it was very good but he had to choose something and she had seemed pleased with it. He had first called her by her new nickname in a training session where she had successfully shielded both of them from a couple of spells and he had christened her Val, short for Valkyrie. Ron had remembered Hermione explaining something about Muggle Norse mythology. According to those tales the Valkyrie were the shield maidens of the god Odin. All pairs in the Order were divided into two parts. The sword part was the witch or wizard that was better at offensive spells and the shield part was the one who was better at defensive spells. Both were expected to train both aspects but each put a special effort into train their specialty. Ron was made the sword of his pair and he wasn't surprised to find that out, he had always been better at damaging spells than shielding ones. Since Val was the shield of their pairing he thought calling her after shield maidens was an ok idea.

He had also been surprised to find out that most of the pairings were romantically involved. This had not been a pleasant thing for him and he was trying to figure out a way to talk to Val about it when Val sat him down and told him she was engaged. She told him in a very thoughtful way as if she expected him to be hurt somehow and she was relieved when he said he was really fine with it and preferred it that way. Most surprising was the fact that all the members of the Order drew a stipend from the Orders coffers. He had not expected this and when he asked about it he was told the Richard the Lion Hearted had set the tradition up when the Order had been founded. When he and Val had gone to draw their stipend for the first time it was just a bit more than Percy made working at the Ministry. You could not get rich doing missions for the Order but you could make enough to support a family it seemed.

_A family would be nice, a decent house with a big yard and a pond outback for the kids._

He stuck his face under the shower spray wondering how he could even be thinking about a family. Maybe it was just a Weasley family thing. When he reached for the soap a second time he brushed one of the blisters on his hand and winced in pain. One of the stranger traditions of the Order was the practice of having all men at arms, squires and Knights train with swords. When he had asked why they still did it the only answer he got was that a Knight should be able to fight well with a sword. It still seemed very odd to him but he could understand tradition. He had asked that question right after the fight when he had been given his Order name. During one of the training matches Val had been hit a bit too hard, in his opinion, by a stunning spell. His response had been to stun one of his opponents and punch the other one in the face, causing his jaw to swell up a good bit. When Val had been woken up and told what had happened she had started calling him Fury and the Knights doing the training had thought it was perfect.

He had been hurt when he hadn't been asked to join the Order of the Phoenix but now it seemed like it had been for the best. This place fit him in a way the Order could never have. Here he was no one's brother or best friend; here he was who his talents and skills let him be. One day with hard work he and Val would join the ranks of the Knights of the Order and perhaps even have their names inscribed in the Hall of Hero's. Seeing the statues and hearing the stories of the Knights represented there had been quite inspiring, foremost among the Knights was their real sense of obligation to the world, to have a gift and to not use it for the good of mankind was anathema to them. Most of the Knight's stories ended in them falling in battle defeating their foe or saving many lives. The overall effect had been to inspire them and at the same time let the squires know of the weight of their choices.

Ron got out and started to dry off taking care to not further inflame the many bruises covering his torso. They could have been taken care of with magic by any of the Order's healers but the Knight's thought bruises gotten in training were fine teaching tools. His stomach rumbled and he thought about going down to the kitchens then thought better of it. He had to get up early for his first mission and he wanted to have a big breakfast so he had to get up even earlier. Finishing his toweling off he got dressed and walked down the hall from the showers to his room. Quickly getting undressed he slipped under the heavy blankets and quilts covering the bed. As with every time he got in bed his thoughts shifted to Hermione. He hoped she was enjoying her visit with her parents and he looked forward to seeing her in a couple of days. Pushing his concerns about staying with her family aside he focused on more pressing matters or matters he would like to be pressing.

_I wonder what Hermione sleeps in now?_

When they had been younger she had slept in pajamas just like he and Harry. Ron had stopped wearing pajamas though every now and again he would wear just the bottoms if it was cold; otherwise it was boxers only since they were less restrictive. Forcing himself to stop thinking about what she was wearing he turned on to his side and slowly drifted off to sleep with a picture of two luminous brown eyes in the back of his mind.

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This was the time of night she had always liked the best. The quiet was comforting and it was a great time to read just a little bit before going to bed. She carefully set her book down and looked at her room. It was mostly unchanged since she had first left to attend Hogwarts as she had spent less and less time at home during the holidays. Though she had been spending less time with her family she still felt a surge of warmth as she looked around the room. She remembered her father reading her stories when she was very little. He had taught her how to read very young and had always been there to help with words she might not have understood and always brought her more books when she wanted them. She had a hard time making friends when she had first gone to Muggle school. It was perfectly understandable, she was just so far ahead of her classmates and they didn't understand how or why. At the time however, she had not understood why no one liked her. Many times her father had wrapped his arms around her when she had cried over how the other kids had treated her. He would smile and tell her that she was just too special for those kids but one day she would meet other special children and then she would have all the friends she wanted. She would smile at her father and nod her head though she often thought it might be nice to not be so special but to just have friends.

Then her Hogwarts letter came and she knew without a doubt she was indeed special. Her mother had been overjoyed with the news. Her father on the other hand had not been so happy to find out his daughter was going to be leaving for a school no matter how prestigious. He had seriously considered not letting her go but in the end he had relented since she had her heart set on going. The day she left for Hogwarts at the King's Cross station was the first time she had seen her father cry. It was only a single tear but it had startled her.

"Why are you crying Daddy? I will be home soon." she had asked.

He had smiled down at her "One day my little princess you are going to leave and not come home. One day you won't be my little princess anymore."

Hermione had laughed "I will always be your princess Daddy."

Her father smiled at her as another tear ran down his face. "One day my dearest daughter, a boy is going to take my little princess away from me and you are going to be happy he does."

"I don't think you have to worry about that Daddy, no boys like me."

"That is just because you haven't met the right boy yet. One day you will bring him home and it will break my heart. I just want you to make sure any boy you come to love is worthy of my greatest treasure."

She had nodded her head and then thrown her arms around him. Then she had hugged her mother and gotten on the train. Hermione glanced over at the bedside table where a picture of Harry, Ron and her was sitting. She and Harry were waving at the camera but Ron was looking over at her when she hadn't been looking with what could only be described as a totally goofy expression.

Tears started to roll down Hermione's face. She was bringing that boy home in a couple of days and she would no longer be her father's princess. Her father had been right, she was glad to be bringing Ron home but the idea that she wasn't her Daddy's little girl anymore hurt her more than she could have imagined. For a brief moment she thought she should tell Ron not to come and maybe she could hold on for another year. Then she looked at the picture again. Ron had turned his face to the photographer and his eyes were flashing liked she loved them to do. Her father had told her to be sure the boy was worthy and she was. She would always fiercely love her father but he was right all along, now she was someone else's princess.

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Neville walked to the kitchen covered in sweat, his mind reeling with memories of the past few days. He wondered how he had gotten a beautiful woman to fall in love with him, him the laughingstock of Gryffindor, the clumsiest boy to ever go through the doors of Hogwarts. Until this year he had been so afraid of girls that he got almost sick thinking about asking them out. In his fourth year he had asked Ginny Weasley to the ball and even though she said yes he had still gotten sick very soon after that. Girls never really looked at him for most of his school years. Harry and Ron seemed to think that girls hadn't been paying them much attention but Neville knew differently. The girls had always thought Harry was cute and over the last year Ron had become the subject of much female conversation. Not that it mattered though, Ron was so besotted by Hermione that Neville doubted if Ron even knew other women existed.

How Harry and Ron had decided that he was good enough to be one of their friends never ceased to amaze Neville. He was certain that he would do everything in his power to make sure they didn't regret it. Right now though her had something just as important to take care of. He grabbed two butterbeers and thanked Merlin once again that his Gran was away for a week visiting friends. Then heading back up the stairs he turned to his right and opened the door.

The sight took his breath away, never had Neville hoped to imagine a beautiful blonde lying in his bed covered by nothing but a thin sheet. Her eyes opened and the smile she gave him turned his knees to jelly. She reached for him and the bottle dropped to the floor unopened and unwanted. Looking into her eyes he found himself glad that no one else could see past her radish ear rings or bottle cap necklaces to see how truly wonderful she really was. Then all Neville knew was passion and heat until he finally managed to fall asleep many hours later.

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The air was cool and crisp as Harry and Ginny walked down to the pond at the Burrow. They seemed to relish the quiet that had surrounded the house. Ron and Hermione were gone, Fred and George had to work late and they rest of the Weasleys had gone to take care of some Order business. It had been the perfect opportunity for some serious snogging and then they decided to take a walk to cool down after getting a bit to heated. Ginny did most of the talking as Harry listened to her recounting stories about what had happened in various romances back at Hogwarts. Harry really didn't care one bit but he loved the sound of Ginny's voice so it didn't matter what she was saying. Harry was also looking forward to meeting Ron in Diagon Ally tomorrow. It had been a while since the two of them had been able to go blow off some steam and have a good time. Right now however as he and Ginny gazed up at the moon there was no place he would rather be.

A/N Sorry it has been a few days but I couldn't get logged in to update because of the site upgrades.


	48. Awakening

Awakening

This was by far the most depressing day Ron had ever experienced, not even Sirius dying or losing an eye had blighted his spirit like the past few hours. The non-combat mission for his Order had turned out to be a trip into Muggle London to deliver food and gifts to the poor. Ron wasn't sure what they called the areas he had visited but he would always think of them as hell. The idea that there were people who didn't have a place to live or food to eat seemed insane. At first he thought maybe it was one or two people in the city and that maybe they were just crazy. Then they had brought a great deal of food and Christmas presents to one building where they claimed to be caring for several hundred such people. Even worse was the way many of them seemed to have given up on living. This was unthinkable to Ron, he had always thought he had faced some hard struggles but nothing had come close to breaking his spirit like these people had theirs broken.

Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse they had gone to visit both a Muggle children's hospital and an orphanage. The idea that there were children who didn't have any place to live or anyone to call family was a revelation to Ron, even Harry whose parents had died had been sent to live with his family. Ron had always thought they were terrible to Harry but it was better than what the orphans went through. Ron had been particularly moved by one little girl who was standing in line fore her treats had asked if she could give her present to her little brother who was also there. When Ron told her that they would both get a present she said her little brother could have hers since he was younger. Seeing the little brown haired girl standing there willing to give up the one present she would get for Christmas so her little brother would be happy had almost broken Ron.

He was ashamed like he had never been before. He had for years felt hard done by when he had to wear hand me down robes or a use a second hand broom. He had wallowed in self pity and doubt all because he didn't have some of the things his friends had and here was a seven year old girl whose only concern was her little brother. A little girl who would give all she had to make things a little better for her brother. Ron had convinced her to take a present as well and had promised that her brother would get the best present they had. When the Order had started to get ready to leave the little girl had given Ron a slip of paper. On it were written her name and the address of the orphanage. She had asked him if he would write her sometimes and Ron had promised he would. "I'll do more than that if I can." he thought to himself.

When they had returned back to the chapter house Talon asked him why Ron thought he had been asked to come with them today. Ron had said truthfully he didn't really know but he was glad that they had. Even now as he walked towards the Leaky Cauldron he could hear Talon's words in his head.

"You need to see what the Muggle world can be like. Too many of wizarding kind don't know about them. I'm not talking about Death Eaters here, there are plenty of good wizarding folk who hate Voldemort and despise what he stands for that still don't give much thought to Muggles. They don't hate them or even dislike them, they just don't think about them to much one way or they other. When you joined the Order you took an Oath and that Oath binds you to care for Muggles as well as wizards. We are fighting for all of us not just wizards. If Voldemort wins then both of our worlds will pay too heavy a price."

"Talon why don't the other Muggles just take care of the ones we saw today?"

"I don't know Fury, I do know that the Muggle world can be a lot harsher than ours and that they have some ideas I don't really understand. Once Voldemort is defeated we are planning on trying to do a great deal more to aid the Muggles who need it. The ones who are sick are a different matter all together. Most Muggles can't be magically healed because they don't believe magic exists so it doesn't seem to affect them. Muggle parents of wizarding children can be healed just fine so it seems to be purely a matter of belief."

Talon had clapped him on the back while Ron had been collecting his thoughts "Well it was a good morning's work all around. Now go enjoy the next few days after the holidays things are going to get busy around here."

Talon had had left Ron and Ron had changed clothes and gotten to Diagon Ally as fast as he could. Bringing himself back to the present Ron say Harry going through the door to the Leaky Cauldron and speed up to catch him. They sat down and had a butterbeer before they started their shopping.

"So you nervous about going to Hermione's parents tomorrow?" Harry asked once they had gotten seated.

Ron had paled for just a moment "Yeah kind of, though if I know Hermione she has already told them to be nice to me."

Harry laughed "It wouldn't surprise me if she had written out some things for you to talk about with them."

"I may have an owl waiting back at the Burrow with the list right now." Ron chuckled.

They two of them spent a half hour or so in idle chatter and then finished their drinks. Once they were done they moved throughout Diagon Ally looking for presents for their friends and family. Ron had found that his list of friends had grown somewhat over the past few years and he was glad he had money to spend on getting them something.

Still the two people he most wanted to get something special for had been the hardest to find something for. Both Hermione and his Mum had been more difficult to shop for than ever.

"Why don't you get Hermione a promise ring?"

"Well I guess I could Harry but it doesn't seem to be good enough. I mean a cheap ring to go with cheap words? Too many guys at Hogwarts give them to girls so they will shag them. I know Hermione will know I don't mean it like that but I want something better."

"Well let's look down here then."

Ron looked to where Harry was pointing.

"You think I can find Hermione's present down Knockturn Ally?"

Harry looked a touch defensive. "Well I bet there are shops there she's never been in and not everything there is bad just some of the shops are a little dodgy right?"

Ron had to concede he had a point. "Ok let's try a few of the nicer looking shops."

They had spent over an hour looking when Ron had walked into a very small shop just off the ally. The very pleasant witch and asked him what he was looking for and when he told her it was a Christmas present for a very bright young witch she had shown him a small assortment of book. He had shifted through them and had almost given up hope when he noticed one with a title that caught his eye. It had read "Bindings, Bonding and Circles of Power: Reclaiming the Witches Coven." It was old but not ancient and had been well cared for. He took it to the witch at the counter and she had smiled at him then asked "Do you love this witch you are buying this for?"

Ron nodded and replied "yes very much so." with only a slight blush.

"Do you also trust her?"

"With my life."

The sales witch had smiled at him and then noted "Then you have made a very good purchase indeed young sir." She placed the book in a protective bag and wished him good day. He found Harry outside another store looking at a selection of fine daggers, some of which were surely for use in the Dark Arts. They had started to head home when they noticed a group of wizards acting strangely just ahead. They had their hoods up and were facing away from Harry and Ron. Ron had turned to Harry when Harry noticed that one of their cloaks had pulled back to reveal the Dark mark on the Death Eaters arm. Harry had pulled Ron back and told him what he saw.

"We need to do something but there are too many of them to take on with out help." Harry started.

"Hold on Harry I think I know a way but we have to do it fast and you have to trust me."

Harry just nodded and waited for Ron to continue.

"We need to hit them all at once and I think if we both use the Fuarte Manus spell it will knock them all out at the same time."

"Ron I don't even know that spell." Harry hissed.

"Just watch my hand, you can cast any spell you've seen Harry I know it. Just flick your wand and picture a cloud of force racing out and slamming into them. Think about all the horrible things the Death Eaters have done and use that rage against them."

Harry was silent and then nodded "Ok we do this on the count of three."

Ron nodded back and listened as Harry counted " On…two….three."

Both of them whirled around the corner shouting "Fuarte Manus" at the knot of Death Eaters. The Death Eaters turned and they flew backwards as the force of both spells tossed them around like dolls. As soon as they could both Harry and Ron bound all the Death Eaters and then used the Petrificus spell on them as well.

"Ok mate I'm going to go out and check them out you stay here and cover me." Ron smirked.

"Why do you go out and I have to cover you?"

"Incase it's a trap and they are looking for you."

Harry paled just a bit but nodded his agreement as Ron checked it out. It wasn't a trap though and soon both Ron and Harry had piled all the Death Eaters up in the middle of the street. A minute or so later several Auror's had apparated in with Mad-Eye Moody leading the way.

"Potter, Weasley what in Merlin's staff are you two doing here?"

"Look Moody we were Christmas shopping when we saw these Death Eaters. We got the jump on them and took them down now we are going to get the hell out of here. Do us a favor and don't mention this to anybody." Ron got out quickly.

Moody smiled at them both and barked "Ok I'll try and keep it quiet now get on out of here."

They ran back to the Leaky Cauldron to Floo back and they heard Moody laughing. "Absolute hell on Death Eaters those two."


	49. Escape form the brink

Escape from the brink.

"Master she has returned to us."

"Then show her in fool, I have need to speak with her."

Wormtail groveled and left the spacious chamber quickly, leaving Voldemort to contemplate his next play for power.

"I have returned as you wished master." a crystal clear voice spoke from beneath the Death Eater mask.

"I trust you the potion was effective and you are well Bellatrix?" Voldemort said softly

The Death Eater pulled back the hood on her cloak and removed the mask they all wore when in public. The tall woman still had the long black hair she had been famous for, now though it shone like black silk fire. Her face had lost the gaunt expression the came from her years of imprisonment and her eyes sparkled with barely contained intellect. She had been returned it seemed to the time before her madness fully claimed her. Her beauty and intelligence had returned with her sanity as well.

"Yes my Lord it was most effective and I thank you. I am myself again as I have not been in many years."

"Think nothing of it Bella, you have been loyal when others have turned from the path of service. Let it not be said that the Lord Voldemort does not reward loyalty and service. I trust you have not found yourself truly lonely with the death of your husband?"

"My husband was a loyal servant of my Lord and in that I will mourn him. He was however no fit husband and I will miss him naught in that regard."

Lord Voldemort laughed "Truly Bella you deserve a husband who can match your courage and loyalty. If you wish I shall give you your pick of all my servants to choose from."

"With my Lord's permission, I find myself wishing not to be without a husband but I will choose one of my own if it pleases you. My first husband was chosen for me and we were ill suited and much grief came of it."

"As you will Bella, as my most loyal subject I wish to see you naught but happy and content when we have driven the Muggles and Mudbloods out of our world. Then you will sit at my right hand as my most trusted advisor."

"You are too generous my Lord, I will strive to only serve you better. If I might though my lord I wish to beg a boon of you."

"Do but speak it Bella and if it is within my mighty grasp I shall grant it most willingly."

"I must take leave of you for a short while. I have debts that must be paid and insults that must be avenged."

Voldemort was silent for a while then he nodded "Of course Bella take all the time that you need. I must ask one thing of you, do not go after Potter. I have a plan for him already in motion. Other than that do what you will and return when you are ready."

Bellatrix bowed before Voldemort then went down on one knee. "I, Bellatrix Black will never forget all you have done for me my Lord. I will serve you unendingly my master."

"Your knowledge and observance of the old ways does you great honor Bella. You are a shining example to those who would purge the corruption of the Mudbloods from our people. Now go tend to your affairs and return to us unharmed. If you bring with you a husband willing to serve our cause so much the better."

With that Bellatrix turned and replaced her mask and hood then swept from the chamber.

"Do you think it wise to allow her to roam freely so soon after she has regained her sanity my Lord?"

Voldemort laughed shrilly for a moment "For one of such great ambition Lucius you know precious little of the best ways of achieving loyalty."

"You are certain she will always be loyal my master?"

"I trust Bella far more than I will ever trust you Malfoy. Every one of my servants is paid in a coin of their own choosing. You desire power and to survive and as long as you do not overly disappoint me you will have both. Bella only desired to be wanted and needed; she already had more power than you will ever have. Indeed Lucius she could have so easily been our foe in this war had things gone but a little different. It was I though who saw her need and was the first to grant it, now she will die for me if I but ask it."

"As would we all my Lord."

"Do not seek to cozy me with lies Lucius, you were far too eager to deny me at the end of the first war. Bella went to prison rather than to deny me and I will not forget it."

Malfoy bowed to Voldemort and left the room hoping to avoid any further mention of his actions at the end of the first war. He had merely done what he had to do to survive, though doubtless his master would not see it that way. Despite what Voldemort had said he was certain the Bella was someone who now bore watching. With the return of her sanity she was far more useful to their cause but she was also far more of a loose cannon. She had never bought into the hate and anger as the other did until that night her mind broke. Faced with the choice to disobey her master or torture the Longbottoms, she had stayed loyal to her Lord and her decent into to total madness had started.

With luck their current plan would soon come to fruition and they would have Potter in their hands. Then when they returned the Boy Who Lived to Often to the wizarding world in pieces it would break the spirit of most of them to fight back. Then they would only have to mop up the few remaining hero's and victory would be complete.

It was that thought that reminded him he needed to contact that worth shell of garbage his wife called their son. To weak to have joined their cause already he helped them in small ways at his school. Lucius knew some of the other Death Eaters questioned if his son was leaning to the other side. He had no doubt of the darkness of his son's heart he only wished he possessed courage in equal measure. What ever else you might say about the Potter boy he had skill and courage. As he walked to get an owl his mind wandered to what might have been if Potter had been born a Malfoy instead of his worthless Draco.


	50. Just the guys

Just the guys.

This had been the best night Ron had spent at the Burrow in a while. He and Harry had just gotten back form Diagon Ally and it looked like they had escaped notice of their little Death Eater escapade. They were both laughing as they stepped into the Burrow and went upstairs to stow away the presents they had bought for everyone. Ron had even remembered to but two presents for both Hermione and the Grangers since they would open presents at the Grangers on Christmas Eve and then open them again at the Burrow on Christmas day.

Since Ginny had gone over to Luna's for the night Ron and Harry spent the evening flying around the Burrow and then sitting out by the lake talking. It had been bloody cold but they had spent a good while just relaxing and laughing about the things all teenage boys laugh about.

"So how are you and Hermione really doing?" Harry ventured after they had been sitting in silence for a bit.

"Really well I think, I am a bit thick when it comes to women you know."

"She certainly seems to be happy and that's a very good sign at least."

Ron smiled for a moment and then leaned over a bit and said in a lowered tone 'Do you ever find yourself just a tiny bit scared of Hermione, Ginny or Luna?"

Harry laughed "Well Ginny for certain and yeah Hermione as well but never Luna, why do you ask?"

"Well I have been thinking about that book I bought Hermione for Christmas and it made me wonder a bit. the very little I saw as a flipped through it seemed to suggest that there was a women's magic that men weren't very good at. Now at first I thought it was probably a lot of Codswallop but I'm beginning to think that there might be something to it."

"Harry frown at the idea "How so?"

"I might be wrong but I find that I do my best practicing for magic alone or with a mate but I have noticed that all the girls seem to learn faster when they are around each other. Remember last year when we were learning about ritual magics that require a few people working together to cast? Well I talked to Luna right after that class and she said that there used to be groups of witches that gathered regularly to do just that kind of magic but then the men got frightened by it and started to try and make them stop."

"You talked to Luna last year?" Harry snickered.

"Yeah that was right before she started showing up all the time. I caught the Slytherins bugging her a few time and made them shove off. After that we would talk from time to time when you and Hermione were off doing something else. I know she seems a bit odd" Ron looked pointedly at Harry "But she one of the nicest people in the world and I can't help but think she's going to be a might powerful witch before it's all over."

"You are talking about Loony Lovegood right?" the disbelief etched on Harry's face.

A flash of anger shot across Ron's face but it passed quickly. "I don't think we should call her that anymore after the Department of Mysteries. Yeah I know I used to be the one who called her that the most but I didn't know how people treated her then. She's been too good to us for us to keep calling her that even if we don't mean anything by it."

"Your right mate she has been a good friend."

"Not only that but Neville has become quite protective of her, Harry. A couple of days ago we were coming back from Directed Studies when we came across some of the Slytherins giving her a hard time. I started to go tell them off when Neville grabbed my arm and told me he was glad that I would stick up for Luna but it was his job now."

Harry looked a bit shocked but then smiled "Bloody good for Neville."

"It's more than just that too Harry, it's like having Luna was the last piece of the puzzle that he needed to believe he could really be somebody. If you're not careful you're going to have some competition in the hero department."

"I already do." Harry replied very softly with a huge smile. Ron however had turned to the side for a moment then turned back to Harry and tossed something to him.

Harry grabbed it out of the air with the certain reflexes of a born Seeker. The he grinned and unwrapped the chocolate frog and relished the sweet taste in his mouth.

_Almost as sweet as Ginny, though I think I won't tell Ron that._

"Are you still nervous about going to Hermione's house?"

"No I'm not nervous, I'm bloody well terrified."

"Don't worry about it mate, I mean the granger's have been perfectly nice the other times we've met them."

"Sure but that was before I was dating their only daughter. After that kiss at King's Cross her dad may just decide to kill me."

At that Harry did laugh "I have to admit it was funny to see Hermione kiss you like that in public."

Ron's smiled for a moment then got very serious "Hermione has a different side to her than I had seen before this year Harry. Once she is confident in her knowledge of something she can be very persuasive about it. I know that we are the ones that always end up fighting Death Eaters but I think she is going to end up so much more powerful than us it scares me a little."

"Well at least she loves us both. Well until you screw up that is." Harry said as seriously as he could manage while wanting to laugh at the look on Ron's face.


	51. Talking to your shadow

Talking to yourself

Ron watched the older man walk towards him. Even at this distance it was obvious who he was. It took him a few minutes to get to where Ron was standing and his breathing was heavy when he arrived.

"What do you want old man, I was trying to sleep?"

The older man laughed for a second then replied "I won't take too much of your time away from dreaming about the girl."

"Leave her out of it; besides I don't spend that much time dreaming about her."

"Don't try to lie to me boy, at your age I dreamt about her all the time."

"Well I'm not you am I?"

"Not yet you aren't but if you don't watch it you're going to be."

"I won't end up like that." Ron replied with a snarl.

"I remember feeling like that, like I knew what was right and what was wrong and there was no way I was going to be one of the bad guys."

"I'm telling you for the last time old man I won't do it."

"Good for you kid, stick to your guns but make sure all the same."

The older man looked at Ron with his one good eye and pushed the dark auburn hair from his forehead.

"I've got something else to show you. You need to remember this because I won't always be able to remind you."

The old man pushed the sleeve of his robes up and there on his left arm was the unmistakable tattoo of the Dark Mark.

"How in the bloody hell did you get that?"

"Well the short answer is Voldemort put it there. The long answer is a bit more complicated."

"I've got the time, I mean it's not like I'm getting any rest tonight anyway."

"Think about it kid, how does Voldemort get most of his Death Eaters? Not the ones like Malfoy or Dolohov, those bastards love what the Dark Lord let's them do. I'm not even talking about the one's like Black or Lestrange who never had much of a choice."

"I'm talking about the others, the ones who came to him willingly even though they weren't evil at the start. Some of them were afraid what would happen if they didn't. Some felt abandoned by everyone else and turned to the first person who offered them a place to call home. Others joined him out of spite or envy or jealousy."

"That's all well and good old man but how did you end up like that?" Ron persisted.

"Well mine was a combination, a little insecurity, a little envy and a mountain of hate."

"Who could you hate so much that you ended up with the Dark Mark on your arm?"

The older man laughed for a brief moment "I hated Death Eaters, I hunted them down and killed as many as I could get my hands on. In the end I killed so many with such disregard that I became like them. In the end I had the ministry hunting me for murdering Death Eaters. I had no where to go but to Voldemort, ironic eh?"

"That just bloody well sounds like the Ministry. Catching Death Eaters is too hard so we'll hunt the bloke who is getting rid of them." Ron fumed. 'As far as I'm concerned you could have killed every last one of them. Who would have missed them?"

"Who indeed?" the older gentleman replied.

"This isn't going to turn into a Death Eaters are people too speech is it because while I might think Hermione's the tiniest bit right about spew I refuse to feel sorry for Death Eaters."

"I didn't expect you would." The older man said sadly.

"Look I don't intend to get out of hand. I want us to win the war and then I can stop fighting. I'll get some boring old job and get married and have a houseful of kids."

"I thought that too, but the rush get from fighting is hard to resist. It gets harder over time until the only way you even feel alive is when you have your life on the line. You lose your friends and family because they can't stand to always wonder what night you're not going to come home safe. Then you don't fight for a cause, you fight because it's all you have left."

"Oh come on, Auror's fight and still have lives."

"Sure it can be done but it's hard and when you fight in a war it's not like fighting sometimes and then having breaks of time in between. The fires of war can burn your soul clean away kid."

"Ok I see what you're saying but I'll be ok. I've got Hermione to keep me straight and I'm not going to go crazy or anything."

"We'll see won't we kid?" the old man said walking away. "Try and get some rest you need to keep a clear head."

Ron watched the man walk down the street that he couldn't quiet place.

Then Ron sat straight up in his bed and quickly looked around the room.

"Those dreams again mate?" Harry drawled out.

Ron looked over at Harry "Yeah, not the bad ones though."

"Well it wasn't the good one's either thank Merlin."

"What good ones?" Ron smirked.

"The ones that start out with oh Hermione." Harry smirked right back.

Ron threw a pillow at Harry but since he was half asleep Harry managed to dodge it easily.

"Ok you win mate, I'm going to try and go back to sleep. Maybe I can even see Hermione this time." he laughed.

"Well if you do keep it to yourself please."

'Sure thing Harry, good night."

"Good night Ron."

A/N While I normally don't answer questions about plot lines and things like that so I don't spoil the story I feel like I need to answer one reviewer's questions. To belanna30 in answer to your first question that plot line will show up again for certain. Also you are correct in your interpretation to the second question.

This fic is not even close to finished and is more than likely going to the the first part of a four fic series. Some of the plot lines won't be fully tied up until the third fic and beyond.

It's sort of my personal tribute to the way J.K. Rowling puts that sort of thing in the books. Also stating this weekend the chapters should be a good deal longer. it has taken me a bit longer than I thought to lay out the story line.


	52. Not smart enough

Not smart enough

"Get up you prat we're going to be late."

"Ok ok Ron I'm up already." Harry snarled.

The two of them had stayed up way to late talking the night before and then neither one of them had slept very well. Ron's mood was tempered by the fact that he would be seeing Hermione again in a couple of hours. Harry on the other hand was just going to number 12 to see Lupin and so he was less than thrilled with the fact that Ron's travel plans were making him get up so early.

"Mum made us some sandwiches last night so we could eat on the go." Ron called as Harry ran into the loo.

Harry showered quickly and then helped Ron get his trunk downstairs. They both were going to number 12 then Ron was getting an Auror escort to Hermione's house. Ron had thought it a bit much and told them he could just get a taxi in London but the Order had insisted. They wolfed their food down and then Floo'd over to number 12 where they both found out they were an hour early. Ron had been in such a hurry to get to Hermione's he had gotten the time wrong. Lupin though had made them a big breakfast so they had a second breakfast and got a chance to talk.

It had been nice to get a chance to talk to Lupin, he seemed to be doing a lot better and had even bought himself some new clothes. So all in all they were having a fantastic morning when Tonks tripped over the welcome mat and set old Mrs. Blacks picture off. The next fifteen minutes or so of screaming and wailing weren't so nice.

"Smooth there Tonks." Ron said grinning at her.

"Wotcher Harry, Ron"

Both Harry and Ron had smiled at the standard Tonks greeting.

"When Mad-Eye gets here we can take you over to Hermione's."

"Thanks Tonks though I hate you have to go to the trouble."

"It's no trouble Ron, we have to do a shift watching the Grangers anyway so it's literally on the way."

"Thanks anyway."

There was silence for a moment when Tonks asked "So Ron have you ever been to Hermione's house before?"

"Nope I wanted to go before but I only got to go pick up Harry."

Harry laughed "Sorry it was a burden to come get me."

"You know what I mean git."

Tonks laughed at them both "So are you nervous about going to stay there?"

"Nope, why would I be."

"Well I was just thinking that staying in her house with her family might be stressful. Sometimes fathers can get a bit protective."

Ron's mouth hung open and he stared off into space a bit.

_Bloody hell her Dad is going to be there. How could I not have thought of that? He'll kill me if I touch her the wrong way. Oh Merlin I should have just said no. I am going to do something wrong for certain._

Ron had paled and both Harry and Tonks were openly laughing at him.

"Don't worry Ron I was just taking the mickey a bit. The Grangers seem to like you a lot."

"Of course that was before you started dating Hermione." Harry added failing to keep the laughter down.

At That point Moody arrived and got them moving. Ron told Harry he would see him back at the Burrow in a few days and to stay out of trouble. They both laughed at that and then laughed even more when Moody said them staying out of trouble was like Tonks staying out of a pub. They went out had got into a car that Ron had never seen before and he started to ask where they had gotten it then he decided he really didn't want to know.

The drive through London was enlightening to Ron. He saw things he knew his dad would kill to see and he tried to remember them all but knew he would forget all of them as soon as he saw Hermione. After a while they seemed to pull into a slightly wooded area and stopped at a fence. Tonks rolled her window down and told the gate who it was and the gate let them in.

"I thought Muggles didn't have magic." Ron wondered out loud.

"It's not magic, it's some kind of Muggle machine." Tonks replied over her shoulder.

"Wicked, dad is going to love that."

Moody and Tonks got a good chuckle out of that as they drove up the driveway. After a minute or so the pulled up in front of the house and Moody and Tonks started to get out.

"You mean Hermione live's here?

"Yep so get your trunk lover boy." Tonks teased.

It took a minute or so to get his trunk out of the boot of the car and pulled it up to the door. Ron knocked on the door and tried not to look around at the very large house. He was just starting to think that he would have to knock again when the door flew open. His smile at seeing Hermione died on his lips as he noticed Hermione's eyes were blazing. She reached out,getting a fist full ofhis jumper and yanked him inside.

"Of all the reckless, irresponsible, childish things I have ever seen you do Ronald Weasley this takes the cake. How can you be as thick as you are and still walk around? I'm surprised you haven't accidentally killed yourself in some sort of horrible eating accident. Honestly there are time you make me wonder how I could have fallen for such an unthinking prat"

She had stopped ranting for a moment then put her hands on her hips and looked him in the eyes.

"So what do you have to say for yourself?"


	53. Busted

Busted

"Err Hermione what are you on about?"

"Oh don't you try to act like you don't know why I'm mad you great big prat."

Ron looked around the room and noticed both Mr. and Mrs. Granger looking at them from a doorway.

_This is not how I had hoped this would start._

"Look luv I really don't know what you are talking about."

Hermione looked at him for a moment and seemed to calm down. "Ok I'm sorry I just got upset."

"Not to worry Mione it happens." Ron was so happy she wasn't angry that he didn't want to push things, so happy in fact that he missed the fire still shinning in Hermione's eyes.

"So how has your holiday been Ron?"

"Well it has been ok but it's much better now that I'm here with you."

"Did you enjoy your trip to Knockturn Ally?

"Well we really didn't mean to go there and then…" Ron stopped talking and looked back at Hermione not able to miss her blazing eyes again.

_Oh no_

"Now do you know why I'm angry you idiot?"

"Look we just went shopping ok."

"You do not just go shopping in Knockturn Ally. Lot's of dodgy stuff goes on there and I can't believe you took Harry with you of all people."

"It was his idea in the first place Hermione."

Hermione had gotten used to Ron being a lot calmer the last few months and as a result had started to miss the classic signs of the onset of Ron rage.

"I don't acre whose idea it was you shouldn't have been there and then you took on a bunch of Death Eaters? Are the two of you mental? Am I going to have to baby sit the two of you idiots for the rest of my life?"

"Bloody hell Hermione, do you think I like having to deal with all of this rubbish? Do you think I like finding Death Eaters all over the place?" he yelled back at her.

"Yes I do think you like it. I hear how good you are in your training sessions and how fierce a fighter you are. I heard Neville telling the other boys how you were laughing at Moody a few days ago because he couldn't take you down. You were laughing at a fully trained Auror. Do you know why you were laughing Ron? Because you were having fun, just like you do when you play Quidditch."

"So we should have just left those Death Eaters alone? We should just have let them go off and do Merlin knows what to Merlin knows who? Well we couldn't ok, when the gather like that they are up to something and you know it. What if they were going after Neville or Luna or yo..somebody else I care for?"

A voice came in from the doorway "Hermione sweetheart, don't you think you might be over reacting just a bit?"

Hermione turned to the Grangers "Over reacting? Do you know how reckless this great big git is? He has no concept of self preservation. He'll just go running off at the drop of a hat to get into any sort of danger."

At that her father spoke up "Hermione are saying Ron is getting you into dangerous places."

Hermione flushed at that "No Daddy he is always trying to keep me away from any sort of danger. He never looks out for himself though and it scares me."

Hermione walked out of the room for a moment and came back carrying a paper. "Take a look at this."

Dashing Duo Disrupts Death Eater Deal

Yesterday afternoon the boy who lived and faithful friend Ron Weasley disrupted a gathering of Death Eaters and captured all six of the villains. The Death Eaters were captured and turned over to Ministry custody with no injuries or property damage. According to spectator's who were interviewed, the two young wizards were doing some last minute shopping in Knockturn Ally when they came across the Death Eaters. Quick thinking and judicious spell work made short work of the Dark wizards and they were soon securely immobilized and the two lads waited for Ministry Auror's to arrive before leaving the scene. One shop keeper reported that the boys had been looking for a special present to give to a very special young witch.

Who ever the witch is, she is a very lucky young lady to have garnered the attention of either one of the daring young hero's. Hearts all over the wizarding world must be breaking now that at least one of these two fine young men has been taken off the market.

It is this reporter's opinion that both the boy who lived and young Mr. Weasley should be accepted into the Auror ranks as soon as possible. They have proven time and again to be our most valuable personnel in the fight against the Dark Lord.

Owl in petition to have both young men become Auror's Page 3

Owl in poll on who the special young lady could be Page 7

Owl in poll on which of the lads has been smitten Page 14

Fold out chart on known Death Eater activities. Page 21

Right above the article was a picture of Ron and Harry when they were waiting for the Auror's to show up. They had their backs to each other guarding the bound and stunned Death Eaters.

"Bloody hell" Ron swore softly.

Hermione reached out her hand and put it on his arm.

"Language?" he asked.

She just smiled and nodded.

"Sorry" Ron looked around at the Granger "I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. Granger, this is not how I wanted this to start off."

For just a moment Ron thought Mr. Granger was going to laugh but then he frowned "Maybe it's time for the two of you to tell us everything that's going on in your world."

The Grangers seemed to take everything to take most of what they were told in stride. It was surprising how much they already knew though Ron guessed they talked to the Auror's who watched their house more than either he or Hermione ever suspected.

"The one thing I'm still having a hard time with is this shape shifter thing. Mrs. Granger spoke up. Are you telling us you can turn into a lion?"

Ron just nodded.

"You can do this whenever you want to?" she continued.

"Yes Mrs. Granger, though there is a bit of discomfort to it. The more I do it the less uncomfortable the change gets though."

'So you could turn into a lion right now, here in our living room?"

Ron was getting more than a little uncomfortable at the way things had started to focus on him.

"Mother, I think that's enough about Ron being a shapeshifter, he's not an animal or anything. He just has a very special gift."

Before her mother could respond Ron interrupted "It's ok 'Mione I don't really mind. Would you like to see it Mrs. Granger?"

Mrs. Granger looked frightened for a moment but then she smiled "I believe I would, it might help all of this become a bit more real if I could see it."

Ron stood up and walked a few feet over to where there was a bit more room. Taking a deep breath he focus inwards and soon felt the transformation take place.

Both of the Granger looked startled for a moment before they both broke out in laughter.

"That's they most amazing thing I've ever seen" Mrs. Granger laughed.

"I must agree my love, I never thought I would have a African Lion standing in my living room."

Hermione had gotten up and walked over to Ron where she started running her hands through his mane.

"Hermione dear can Ron understand us while in his lion form?"

"Somewhat Mum though mostly emotions and general ideas. He will know if we want or need him to change back though."

"You love him don't you Hermione?" her face said softly.

Hermione's face fell and she looked for a moment if she were going to cry "Yes daddy I do, very much so. How did you know?"

Her father looked up sadly "He called you 'Mione, if anybody else had done that you would have had a right good fit but you just smiled at him."

"Daddy I want to tell you something before Ron changes back and I embarrass him to no end. He is good and kind, brave and noble, just like the men in those fairy tales that you used to read me As I got older I thought those were just all made up and people like that didn't really exist. Well I was wrong, I know you're worried about everything that is happening but you should know this. If there is a way for me to be safe, Ron will find it. Even if I don't want him too, he'll still try to protect me."

There was a slight pause "So this is THE boy is it?"

Hermione took a deep breath "Yes daddy it is, I know we are young and honestly we are taking things very slow because we are both aware of it. Despite that we are very serious about how we feel and won't allow anyone or anything to separate us."

"Well then princess, can I have one more hug from my princess before your knight in shinning armor changes back and takes you from me forever?"

Hermione flung herself into her fathers arms and as they hugged Ron got the impression he should just stay transformed for a while.


	54. Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

Hermione had woken up a bit later than normal and headed to the kitchen hoping that Ron hadn't been alone with her parents too long. Things had gone very well all things considered but she didn't want to push their luck and have something unpleasant happen. She was just about to walk into the kitchen when she heard her mother's voice say softly. "They will be up soon, please don't make a scene on her last day at home."

"I'm not going to make a scene Liz. I just think they are a bit too comfortable with each other."

"Ron is a good lad William, the kind of boy I hoped she would find when she grew up. Don't you think that maybe you are being a bit too hard on him?"

Hermione's dad sighed for a moment "Don't get me wrong Liz, I think he's a good guy as well. It's just he's a bit too…too…" his voice trailed off and he looked confused.

"It's he's a bit too male isn't it William."

"Maybe…..I always thought that when Hermione brought a boy home it would be a quiet, shy, bookish boy who wouldn't look at her like Ron does."

Hermione's mom laughed at him "Just how does he look at her?"

Mr. Granger looked up at his wife "When we were putting the presents under the tree last night Hermione wanted them to be just so. She spent a good bit of time arranging them to be just right so naturally she had to crawl around on the floor a bit and I swear that boy's eye's never left her bottom the whole time."

Hermione felt herself getting hot and had to choke down a chuckle at the same time.

Her mother on the other hand didn't try not to laugh one bit.

"Well of course he did William he's a boy. Do you honestly expect him not to?"

"Well maybe not but I still don't have to like it."

"There's something else you might want to think about. What if Hermione was trying to get him to look."

"I do not want to think about that."

"I imagine you don't but you better get used to it. Women no matter how strong or smart like to know that there men find them attractive. You don't think I wear the things I wear to bed because they are comfortable do you?"

"But this is Hermione Liz."

"Yes and I bet my father didn't think to highly of you looking at my bottom either but you sure did a lot of it."

Hermione's father sighed again "Ok ok I give up. I'm just not happy about losing my best girl that's all."

Hermione's mother's voice got a little lower "Well maybe I can just be your best again."

The voices were quiet for a moment then Hermione heard her mother giggle "William stop it, they will be up soon."

It was at that point that Hermione decided that she needed to go back to bed for a bit.

Hermione had gone back to her room and read for a bit before she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in" she answered the knock.

Her mother stuck her head in through the door.

'I just wanted you to know Ron is up and I think he's eating everything that's not nailed down in the kitchen."

Hermione laughed "Thanks mom, I'll be right there."

"Ok dear I'll tell Ron."

"One more thing mom, thanks for this morning."

Her mother looked very confused for a moment and then blushed "Well I just helped your father see how things were." Then she paused for a moment "I hope you didn't eavesdrop too long. It's not polite." she said with a very faint blush.

"Of course not mother, I barely heard anything at all."

"Well then I will see you in a moment."

Her mother closed the door back as Hermione put a book mark into the spot where she had stopped and straightened up her clothes. Then feeling like today was going to be a great day she went down to the kitchen.

When she got to the kitchen she found her father and Ron deep into a discussion of Quidditch of all things. To her amazement her father seemed to be truly interested in how the game was played and Ron of course was always ready to talk about it. It never ceased to amaze her how both he and Harry loved that game. Of course she tried to never miss a Gryffindor match and she had seen most of the other houses games but that was mostly because Ron and Harry had all but picked her up and carried her to them. Really she enjoyed the matches a great deal as long as Ron and Harry were with her. It was a bit harder to take when they were playing. Quidditch really was a pretty brutal game and she had seen Harry get hurt several times. Now she lived in constant fear that one of them would get hurt playing. Their lives were already dangerous enough without Quidditch.

Still Quidditch seemed to make both of them happy and there was no denying the fun the two of them had playing. Since all of his brothers had played for the house team it seemed like Ron was born to play and Hermione would never try to stop him from doing something that made him so happy. She would just keep her worries to herself and hope for the best.

Shaking herself a bit she noticed that the conversation at the table had turned to what Ron planned to do after he got out of school. She keep quiet and listen with growing pride as Ron explained how he wanted to be an Auror and what all that entailed. Deep down Hermione hated the idea that he would always be doing a dangerous job but even Professor Moody thought Ron would be great at it. As the thoughts ran though her head she noticed everyone was looking at her.

"I'm sorry I didn't hear you." she stuttered.

"I was just wondering if you had decided what you wanted to do after graduation dear." her mother repeated.

"I have thought about it a lot but I haven't decided on anything yet."

"Hermione will be able to pick whatever she wants. There's no doubt she will be Head girl next year and she will probably set a record for the highest N.E.W.T. scores as well."

Hermione smiled at Ron after he said that. "Now you know they could pick someone else to be Head Girl and I might not do as well on the N.E.W.T.'s as you think, they are going to be very hard."

"You not being Head Girl, not bloody likely."

Hermione reached over and put her hand on his arm and looked at him softly.

"Oh sorry about my language Hermione."

"It's ok Ron, I also appreciate your belief in me."

"It's not just me Hermione, everyone in school knows you'll be Head Girl in seventh year. If you could be you'd be Head Girl now."

Mr. Granger spoke up "Any chance of you being Head Boy Ron?"

Ron looked startled and coughed for a moment. "Not very likely Mr. Granger, really Harry should be Head Boy , in fact Harry should have been Prefect this year but he's so busy with…er…other activities."

Mr. Granger stood up and walked over to a drawer and pulled out several newspapers. "Like these activities?"

Ron and Hermione looked down and say that it was several different copies of the Daily Prophet. One of them was about the fight at the Department of Mysteries. The other were from the times either Harry or Ron had gotten into fights with Death Eaters.

Mrs. Granger looked at Hermione "We have had several of your professor's keeping us updated on what happens in your world. It would have been better if you had told us yourself however."

Hermione had trouble looking her parents in the eyes but finally looked up. "I just didn't want you to worry about things you couldn't control."

"We understand that darling but you still should have told us."

"I'm sorry, from now on I'll tell you about everything that's happening."

"Professor Dumbledore also told us how Ron and Harry both look out for you and depend on you when things are difficult. It's why we never seriously thought about keeping you out of school."

"You can believe me when I say that I would never let anything happen to your daughter while I was still alive to stop it." Ron interrupted.

Both of Hermione's parents turned and looked at Ron. For one moment it looked like Hermione's mother was going to cry but then Mr. Granger put his hand on hers "Now that's all I can ask of the boy who took my princess away isn't it."

The rest of the day passed in a rush of Christmas lights and good food. Hermione's family always opened most of their presents on Christmas Eve so they had settled down after dinner to exchange gifts. Ron had given the Grangers a book on the wizarding world that could only be read by the people it was given to. He had told them it might make it easier to understand what Hermione's life was like. Hermione had of course loved the book he had given her, so much so that he saw her looking at it while the rest of them open presents. The Granger's had given Ron a very nice Retro bomber jacket from the forties and Hermione thought he looked very dashing in it. Hermione didn't give him her gift right at the start. He had been having such a good time that he hadn't noticed until Mrs. Granger seemed to pull Mr. Granger out of the room.

"Ron I wanted to give you your present alone, I hope you don't mind."

"You know I never mind having time alone with you." he said giving her the lopsided grin he hoped she liked.

Hermione reached around and pulled a small box from behind her back. She kissed him for just a moment and said "Happy Christmas".

He took the box from behind her and opened it, inside was a long silver chain with a glass circle at the very end. On the glass circle was etched a Knight with a long spear fighting a dragon.

"It's an icon, they were given to knight's who had made long pilgrimages. The way I see it you have traveled a very long road to get here and it's about time you got a reward for it."

Ron swept her up in a hug and then leaned forward to kiss her. "I already have everything I wanted."

"It's more than just an icon though; I enchanted it to act just like the necklace you gave me. Now in a very real sense we can never be truly apart no matter what."

Ron kissed her a bit more fiercely and slid his hands down her side where they flared over her hips and came to rest softly cupping her rear.

Hermione blushed then laughed.

"May I ask what's so funny?"

"Just that everyone in the world knew how fond you were of my rear before I did."

"Well it is a brilliant rear."

"When we get back to Hogwarts we will definitely have to find more alone time. I want to find out what else you are fond of."

They spent of rest of Christmas Eve almost totally in silence both of them reading. Hermione still hadn't quiet gotten used to Ron reading. Now you still wouldn't catch him reading on a sunny day but he paid a great deal more attention to his studies and to books in general. Hermione believed that almost all the books were fighting spells of some sort or another but at least it was a start. The quiet gave her time to start reading the book Ron had given her. It didn't take her too long to realize that Ron had read the book or he might have been a bit embarrassed to give it to her. The book dealt in what it referred to as women's magic. It had gone into great detail about spells for women and then went further into spells that groups of women could cast. Some of them were quite powerful and some of them were flat out dangerous. Just as her eyes were starting to get heavy and she was thinking about sleep her mother came back into the room.

"Hermione this came for you this morning by owl but I forgot to give it to you."

"Thanks mom" Hermione took the letter and opened it.

Hermione,

I just wanted to let you know we are going to have an Order meeting the day after Christmas. There are some things going on that need to be discussed. Also be prepared for some fireworks between Order members. Sadly we still have to keep this a secret from Ron. I'm not sure how you will be able to and I don't envy you having to do it but I don't see a way around it. Tell the big git I said to hurry home and I'll see you both Christmas day.

Love,

Harry

Hermione looked over at Ron who was looking at her questioningly.

"Everything ok luv?"

"I think so Ron it's just that special project for Professor Dumbledore I've been working on."

Ron nodded and went back to reading.

Hermione was thankful that Ron hadn't asked her about it. The fact that Ron knew she was in the Order without her having to tell him was a blessing. It also reminded her of the party she stood him up at, that was not a blessing and she probably should make it up to him somehow. She got angrier as she thought about why she had to keep Order secrets from Ron. Who do those people think they are? What more did they want? Ron was brave, loyal and from all she had heard a very good duelist. He had also been there for Harry from the beginning. Didn't that count for something? He was there when they had to go after the Sorcerer's stone. He was there when Harry had to go into the Chamber of secrets. He had been there for all of it and he had the scars to prove it. Well she was going to set some of those people straight. Even as she drifted off to sleep on the couch she was still indignant about the situation.

_Nobody treats my Ron like that._

A/N For those that are interested I will doing a story for the Christmas past challenge on

Also sorry if this feels a bit disjointed, I have a hard time writing from a female point of view.


	55. A little intelligence

A little intelligence

Christmas day had come and gone in the blink of an eye. The Granger's had seemed to love the Burrow and all of its inhabitants. Mrs. Granger was particularly taken with Fred and George to everyone's surprise. Harry for one had been glad to see it and hoped it would make things easy for Hermione and Ron. Now though he had a different worry, it seemed that Fred and George were still mad about Ron being excluded and were planning on making it an issue at the Order meeting today. Harry knew that the last thing they needed was for those two to cause trouble. Not to mention if they brought it up he might have to let the Order know his own feelings on Ron's treatment and that would just cause more problems.

All the Order members who were staying at the Burrow had to Floo over to number twelve and that had been a bit uncomfortable. One minute they were all sitting in the kitchen laughing and talking. Then all of them but Ron and Ginny had to get up and go Floo away. To his credit Ron had asked Ginny if she wanted to go upstairs and play wizard chess so it wouldn't be quiet so awkward. Once they had gotten there they found out the Professor Dumbledore was going to be a bit late and they would start off by going over some routine business until he arrived. It had been going fairly well and they got through the operations discussions with very little time taken up. When they got to recruiting however they ran into a great big red headed wall in the form of Fred and George.

"So we are still discussing recruiting new members when we haven't asked Ron to join?" Fred said incredulously.

"Can we not have this discussion again please?" Lupin said wearily.

"Yes we are going to have this discussion again. What the hell is wrong with you people? I want to hear exactly why he can't join. Not some obscure mumbo jumbo but a real reason." George said rage written across his face. No one present wanted to deal with one of the Weasleys upset let alone the twins.

"The reason he won't be allowed to join is simple." Kingsley said slowly "He might get out of control and we can't afford that. His temper makes him too easy for the death eaters to turn. We can take the risk."

Fred and George both stood up and stared at him "Are you saying you think our brother is going to be a Death Eater?" George snarled.

"I'm saying it could happen that's all. We are having too much trouble as it is to be worried about being able to trust order members."

"Who here thinks my little brother could really end up as a Death Eater?" Fred asked clearly unable to believe anyone could think it. To his chagrin several hands went up at the table. Kingsley, Snape and Dung seemed understandable but when he saw Lupin raise his hand he was floored.

Both Hermione and Harry both started when they saw Lupin raise his hand.

"Remus" Harry started "Ron has been there when I need him, every time without fail. How can you think he could turn on me?"

Lupin seemed to shrink for just a moment and then he sighed "I'm not saying he will Harry, truthfully I don't think he will but he could and I don't want to risk it."

"If you don't want to risk it then why in the bloody hell is there an Order member sitting here with the Dark mark on his arm. Don't you think that's a bit rich?"

The room went silent and Snape stood up and left the room without a word.

Lupin had turned chalk white but Harry was fairly certain the Moody had laughed.

At that point Professor Dumbledore had arrived and asked why everyone looked so tense.

"Fred and George asked about their brother joining again." Kingsley spoke up.

The Professor looked a bit sad for a moment "Suffice it to say that Mr. Weasley is lost to us for the foreseeable future."

"Are you saying our brother has gone over to the other side?"

"Goodness no Fred, Ron has found another way to fight against Voldemort and as such can no longer join us here."

"What is he doing?" Hermione spoke up for the first time.

"Mr. Weasley will have secrets he cannot divulge just as you will have. I trust you all to not make demands of him that you wouldn't want made of you."

"Now on to matters at hand, we have found out through diligent efforts that Voldemort is looking for a number of potent magical artifacts. So far we have been unable to ascertain his purpose for searching for them however it is safe to say that whatever the reason we do not wish for him to find them. Already teams are traveling to search for several artifacts whose locations are relatively easy to discover. Many of them however are the stuff of legends and myth. It is in this vein that I must ask Miss Granger and Mr. Potter to shoulder a great deal of the effort. Much research must be done to assist in locating the items in question and Miss Granger's skill in research is without peer. I have taken the liberty of having a list of the items and a bit of back ground information sent to your room at Hogwarts Hermione. Interestingly one of the items on the list is at Hogwarts."

"Well then at least we know where on of them is." Tonks sighed.

"Unfortunately we don't know where it is Nymphdora. We know that it was hidden at Hogwarts at the time of it's founding by Lady Ravenclaw. What we do not know is where it is hidden. This is most troubling considering that the item in question is one of the more powerful one's that Voldemort is seeking."

"Professor what is the item?" Hermione could no longer restrain herself from asking

"It is called the Cauldron of Medea. Medea was a famous witch of the classic times, she was quite renowned for her skill at brewing potions. The Cauldron was said to be her life's greatest work and was purported to be quite powerful. Which is why we must ensure that Voldemort doesn't gain control of it."

Everyone seemed to be trying to digest the information when Dumbledore spoke up again.

"It is late and everyone is tired, please return to your homes and I will inform you of the date of the next meeting. Those who need to know will be kept up to date on the searches."

Harry and Hermione were herded towards the Floo as soon as the meeting broke up. As soon as they left Mad Eye Moody spoke up "I thought we were worried about Voldemort splitting the three of them up?"

"We are Alastor, we are."

"Well then why in Merlin's name are we splitting them up for him?"

A/N Sorry for the chapter being so short. The next Chapter is going to be very long and I needed to get this part layed out first.


	56. The Tirals of Molly Weasley

The trials of Molly Weasley

There was no doubt about it, Hermione wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep. Facing that fact she got out of bed trying not to wake Ginny up and went down the the kitchen at the Burrow. She walked into the kitchen and put some water on for tea when she noticed a light on in the living room. Having nothing else to do until the water got hot she went to see who was awake at this early hour. There in the living room she found Mrs. Weasley sitting on the couch look at photographs.

"Good morning Hermione, you're up a bit early."

"I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep so I thought I would have some tea."

"Mind if I join you? I couldn't sleep either and I thought I would look at some old family pictures."

"I would love to have tea with you Mrs. Weasley. What pictures are you looking at?"

"Just some of my boys when they were younger."

Mrs. Weasley stood up and carried the photo albums into the kitchen and poured up tea for the two of them. Then she sat down at the table and opened one of the albums.

"I guess you know how much of a handful my boys can be eh Hermione?"

Hermione laughed softly "Well I do know a fair bit about Fred and George and of course I know a lot about Ron."

"I want to thank you for all you have done for Ron and Harry. You are a very bright girl Hermione but what's makes you so special is the care you give to those hooligans."

"I don't think their quite hooligans Mrs. Weasley, well maybe not Harry." she smiled.

"I know Ron has given you a handful at school dear. He's fortunate to have such a good friend."

Hermione looked at Mrs. Weasley for a moment. "Well Harry and I are lucky to have Ron as a friend as well."

"You know Hermione I worried more about Ron than my other boys. Bill was always so charismatic; at school he had girls three years older than him throwing themselves at him. I almost had to take away his Hogsmeade privileges because he became so popular with the young ladies of the village."

"Well Bill is a good looking man."

"Then Charlie was so good at Quidditch that it made up for his not making friends as fast as Bill did. You know how it is at school, if you are good at Quidditch then everything else is easier."

Hermione just nodded in agreement.

"Percy was so studious that he everybody was always talking about how smart he was and how good his marks were. Even with two popular older brothers he never felt overshadowed. Then the twins went to school and well you know how they are. Merlin himself couldn't overshadow the twins."

Unable to hold back her snicker Hermione just let it out.

"So by the time Ron got to Hogwarts he had two brothers who were Head Boy's, one who was a Quidditch star and two who their class pranksters and all of them had been fairly popular. It made me worry that Ron wasn't going to be able to be appreciated for who he was."

"I can see how that might worry you Mrs. Weasley."

"To tell you the truth Hermione it took me a good long while before I got a handle on what Ron was made of. The year before he left for Hogwarts Ron and Ginny were down at the pond swimming when Ginny got attacked by a grindylow. Instead of coming back here and getting me or one of his older brothers that barmy son of mine grabbed a rock and jumped in the pond. He found the grindylow and Ginny and hit the grinylow in the head with the rock until it let his sister go and then they both swam to shore. Right then was when I started worrying about that boy. People think being brave is not being afraid of anything but their wrong. Ron is brave because even when he is terrified he still won't let it stop him from doing what he thinks is right. I'll let you in on a little secret my dear, I worry about Arthur and all of my children, including you and Harry, but Ron is the one who keeps me up at nights. He'll follow Harry to the end of the earth if he thinks he needs to."

"Isn't that a good thing though Mrs. Weasley?"

'Of course it is dear but when you have children of your own you will find that sometimes you want them to do the safe thing even if it's not the right thing."

They sat there for a few moments in silence when Mrs. Weasley flipped open a different photo album. It took her a few moments but she finally stopped at a photo of two young men. Both had light brown hair and clear blue eyes.

"You would have never been able to meet them dear but these are my brothers, Gideon and Fabian. They both died in the first war. I was still pregnant with Ron when they died, they were both Aurors and I had looked up to them since I was a very young girl. After their death I used to tell Ron stories about them when he was very active late at night. I know you can believe me when I say that he kicked a great deal before he was born so I spent many a sleepless night telling him stories and rubbing my belly. I spent countless hours talking about how brave my brothers were and how hard they had fought against the Dark Lord. Now sometimes I wonder if some how he heard me talking to him even before he was born."

"So is Ron like them then?"

"Only in how fiercely he will fight to protect the ones he loves. It kills me to say it but Ron is more like Sirius than anyone else."

"I thought you liked Sirius Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh lass I did, I loved Sirius like a brother even though we often fought over the best way to keep Harry safe. You have to understand what I admired in Sirius makes me worry about Ron. See I want Ron to have all the things life offers and I don't want anything to happen to him before he gets to experience all of it."

Hermione just smiled at Mrs. Weasley.

"That's why I'm glad he has gotten involved with you Hermione. You've got good sense and you're quite clever. If anyone can control Ron it will be you."

"Should I be controlling Ron? Shouldn't I let him make his own choices?" Hermione whispered.

"I'm going to tell you a secret Hermione and I trust you to not tell a soul. Weasley men need to be told what to do, they are wonderful but most of them require a firm hand to guide them and Ron is the worst of the lot in that regard. He's going to be a fine man but he needs you to keep him from going too far sometimes."

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean Mrs. Weasley."

"You will dear, you will."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hermione was glad to be back at Hogwarts, she had thoroughly enjoyed the holidays but now she could get to work on the research she needed to do. The Burrow was probably the happiest place in the world but it wasn't a library and that's what she need to start looking for Medea's Cauldron. In the two weeks since they had been back at school she had found several references to the cauldron but none that had in any given even a clue as to where it might be hidden. It was starting to wear thin, no she was starting to wear thin. She had been sleeping less than four hours a night to do as much research as possible and still keep up with her studies and prefect duties. Not to mention she had been neglecting Ron and had not been able to organize the reformation of the D.A. like she had promised Harry. Then when Ron had suggested she might want to take a break last night and get some sleep they had one of their now infamous rows. It had been a spectacular one if she did say so her self. Looking back on it now Ron had been right but she had been tired and in no mood to hear him saying she was working too hard. That great big git spent hours every day training with Neville, Harry and of all people Susan Bones. It seemed that Susan was quite the prodigy at shielding spells and as such had been added to their little training group. In addition those maniacs had started exercising in the morning after Ron saw a television show about it at her house over the holidays. Tonks had also started some particularly violent training regimen that left all of them sort and bruised.

The upshot of all of that had been that Hermione was in no mood to be lectured about working too hard by someone who was covered in bruises and scrapes. Suffice to say that they had set Gryffindor tower abuzz with gossip over their shouting match. Harry and Ginny had just laughed and said it had reminded them of the good old days. This morning she had found it amusing as she lay in bed but last night she had been furious. She need to find Ron and left him know she wasn't mad. If he had been at breakfast when she was there she could have then but the boys had eaten very early before heading to Room of Requirements.

She also needed to spend some more time with her Christmas present. That book was a fountain of information. Hermione was pretty sure that Ron didn't even open the book as it contained a great deal of dodgy spells and even more powerful rituals. In fact only a very brave or very oblivious wizard would give that book to a witch on purpose.

_Well Ron can certainly be both of those._

_Oh bloody hell I still have to read all those Animagus parchments that Ron did for McGonagall. Ron really is a bad influence on m, now I'm swearing in my head._

Hermione buckled down and started to get back to work. The sooner she figured out where this ruddy Cauldron was the sooner she could get some sleep and work on one of the dozen other things she had been putting aside. As she busied herself in the books that surrounded her she had one more distracting thought.

_I have got to remember to tell Ginny about the orb in the Room of Requirements._

A/N; I had to split this chapter after all sadly. I also want to dedicate this chapter to a reviewer who seems to have a good handle on the foreshadowing in the storyline. So belanna30 this chapter is for you. All the foreshadowing you could want.:)


	57. Paved with good intentions

Paved with good intentions.

The occupants of the Gryffindor common room looked up in surprise as the portrait door burst open and several people rushed in.

"That was the single worst thing I have ever seen."

"Oh come on Ron it couldn't have been that bad."

Ron whirled around at Harry. "You think so? You didn't see it all, next time we walk in on them I hope you're the one that has to see Neville's pasty white arse bouncing up and down."

"No thanks mate it was bad enough hearing them."

Seamus's brogue broke into the heated discussion "What I want to know is why did I think I heard Luna humming Weasley is our King right as we got the bloody hell out of there."

Ron went completely pale "Don't even joke about that you prat."

"I'm not joking; I swear on my grand mum's grave I think I heard it."

This was all it took to send Harry right over the edge into hysterical laughter.

Ron turned and glared at him "Keep it up and you'll be the boy who didn't live long enough to get out of school."

Harry tried to reply but one look at Ron's expression and he went right back into gales of laughter. Soon Seamus had joined him in a damn fine laugh at Ron's expense.

Ron walked past the both of them and flopped down of the couch.

"Having a bad day love?"

Ron smiled at Hermione "You have no idea, it started badly in Transfiguration and just went down hill from there. Speaking of which can you help me with my Transfiguration after dinner tonight?"

Hermione shook her head "I'm sorry Ron but Harry and I have to do some more research."

"Ok how about tomorrow night then?"

Hermione frowned and shook her head again "We will still be researching tomorrow I'm afraid."

Ron looked at her for a long moment "Ok I'll see if I can't figure it out then. I'm going to take a shower before dinner then. I'll see you guys in a bit."

As soon as Ron had gone up the stairs Ginny moved from her chair to sit beside Hermione "Hermione have you suddenly gone stupid?"

"What are you talking about Ginny?" Hermione replied defensively.

"I'm talking about you ignoring my brother. Since we've gotten back from the holidays you can't seem to make time for him."

"Well Ginny I'm very busy working with Harry and keeping my grades up. Not to mention my prefect duties. I just haven't had the time to wa …I mean spend on non-school related issues."

Ginny's face hardened into a mask "If you think that spending time with my brother is a waste you aren't the person I thought you were. I know how important your school work is too you Hermione but if you aren't careful you are going to end up the smartest heartbroken girl in school."

Hermione sighed "You know I don't think spending time with Ron is a waste. I'm just under a lot of pressure and I think you are blowing the whole thing a bit out of proportion."

"I may be Hermione but if I'm right it won't be my boyfriend that's going out with someone else. People have already noticed that you guys are only together during meals and classes lately."

"Ginny you know how gossip gets around here."

"If you don't believe me go ask Lavender, she heard several of the Hufflepuff's talking about how it was only a matter of time before Ron got tired of being ignored."

"I think you aren't giving Ron enough credit, sure the last two or three weeks I have barely seen him but he knows when I have finished with this project I will have a lot more time."

"Ok Hermione I've done my part as a friend if you don't want to listen then it's your decision."

At that point Ron came downstairs "You guys ready to go to dinner?"

The other three nodded and they headed down to the Great Hall. Harry, Ron and Ginny started talking about England's chances in their next Quidditch game while Hermione seemed lost in thought. They arrived just as dinner was starting and for once everyone seemed to be as hungry as Ron so conversation was at a minimum for a while.

When everyone had sated their hunger the conversation turned to their Defense against the Dark Arts classes and how much they all like Professor Leonidas.

"I still can't believe the two of you blew a hole in the wall of his class during your duel."

"Don't blame me" Harry laughed "that was all Ron."

"The best part was the rubble landed on Zacharias Smith." Ron chuckled.

"Ron that's not very nice." Hermione huffed.

"Oh come on 'Mione that guy was a great git all year during the DA meetings."

"Still, he had to go to the hospital wing."

"He should have gotten out of the way, Harry did."

Both Harry and Ginny laughed receiving a frown from Hermione.

"One of these days though Harry I'm going to beat you in our Friday duels."

"In your dreams Weasley." Harry teased.

Everyone at the table laughed and Ron had opened his mouth for a retort when another voice interrupted them.

"Getting tired of coming in second place to St. Potter yet Weasley?"

Everyone at the Gryffindor table turned to look at the thoroughly unwelcome face of Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy don't you have some other people to make unhappy?" Ginny smirked.

Maloy smirked back but ignored her "So the rumor around school is that Granger dumped you for Scarhead."

"Only you would be idiot enough to believe that Malfoy." Hermione retorted.

'Well I guess you will know soon enough eh Weasley? After all it is snog night."

The sixth years had taken to calling Friday night snog night as it had become quite popular for students to try and blow off a bit of steam built up from the previous week's classes.

With that Malfoy turned to leave "Well enjoy yourself Weasly." Malfoy said over his shoulder as he strolled away.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes then Hermione spoke up. "Ron I'm sorry but Harry and I have to go get started."

"Yeah I know, I'm going to stay here a bit more and then try and get some work done. I have to go work on my special project tomorrow."

They had started referring to their work for their Orders as their special projects. I was a way they could tell basically what they were doing without betraying their Orders rules.

Harry and Hermione got up and started out of the Great Hall. As they left they heard Malfoy's voice carry out over the Hall. "Better luck next time Weasley."

Ron had just ignored it, if he flattened Malfoy Hermione would just get mad and it would make it look like he believed the stupid rumors as well.

"Well Ginny I don't suppose you could help me with Transfiguration?"

"Sorry brother of mine but I am barely keeping my head above water in Transfiguration as it is. No to mention you are a year ahead of me."

Ron nodded and was about to get up when a voice to his left spoke up.

"If you really need help I could give you some help tomorrow night."

Ron turned to look at the speaker, who was a very small girl with blond hair that he didn't seem to recognize.

"Well I could sure use the help, do I know you?"

The girl laughed "Well we have been in the same classes for almost six years now but I guess you mostly stick to Gryffindor's don't you?"

It was only then that Ron noticed she was wearing the green and silver robes of Slytherin House. "No offense but why would you want to help me?"

"Well I was coming over here to tell you to ignore Malfoy. He is normally a great big prat but lately he has been an enormous pain in the arse. That's when I heard you talking about Transfiguration and I thought talk is cheap but helping would show I meant it. If you would rather not learn from a Slytherin I can deal with that."

"Are you in my Transfiguration class?"

"Yes and have been for years."

"How can I not have known you?"

'Well most Gryffindor's only pay attention to the Slytherins who cause them problems. The rest of us are just sort of a nameless, faceless evil." The sting of the words was softened a great bit by the smile she gave him.

Ron laughed in spite of himself, she had a wicked sense of humor no matter what house she was in. "Ok it's a deal, by the way I'm Ron Weasley."

"I know who you are, everybody in Hogwarts does." she smirked.

Ron looked embarrassed for a moment "Well I'm sorry to say I don't know your name."

She laughed out loud once again "The names Daphne Greengrass, pleased to meet you." she stuck her hand out and Ron shook it.

"Now that we have that out of the way would you like to meet me here tomorrow and we can go practice in the Transfiguration classroom?"

"Sounds like a plan to me. I take it you are good at Transfiguration?"

"Well I'm no Hermione Granger but I got O's in it and I would be tops in it if it weren't for the brilliant Miss Granger."

Ron laughed "Yeah she has a way off staying on top of things."

Daphne gave him a very pointed look "Oh does she?"

Ron felt his face go very red and he blurted "..ummm I err….thats not what I meant."

Daphne grabbed both of her side as she almost fell over laughing. Ron could her Ginny howling from her seat just across from him.

"I know what you meant Weasley, so I'll see you here tomorrow then?"

"Right well until then Greengrass have a good night."

She turned over her shoulder "I will if I can find a good snog in this place."


	58. A trip around the castle

A trip around the castle

There was no getting around it, Ron was bored. Not only had he finished all of his homework but he had started on the next weeks reading. All of this on a Friday night, it was in his opinion revolting.

_Hermione is having a bad influence on me._

Just then Lavender and Parvati came down the stairs from their dorm.

"I can't believe you two don't have dates tonight." Ron called out.

"We decided to do some Divination tonight with some of the other girls. We are going to meet up in the great hall in a few minutes." Lavender replied.

"What medium are you working on?"

"Tarot reading at first and maybe a little trance meditation if we have the time."

"You should come with us Ron, I know you don't think too much of Divination but you did get an O in the OWL for it so you must have some ability." Parvati added.

Ron shrugged "What the hell, I'm not doing anything here but growing older."

Parvati and Lavender smiled "Good not only will it not just be girls but having you there might keep Malfoy from bugging us."

"Malfoy has been giving you two a hard time?"

They both frowned and Lavender replied "Just a little, I think he likes showing off in front of groups of girls."

Ron smiled for a moment "Well that would make my night. I get to work on my lessons with lovely ladies and kick Malfoy in the arse at the same time. Do you think I should send him a note saying where we are studying?" he smirked.

Ron stood up and the three of them headed out of the portrait door and towards the great hall with Lavender gone on about a new Tarot theory she had been reading about. As they walked that way Ron started to realize that Lavender might not be the brightest witch in Hogwarts but she did have a strong interest in Divination. Real Divination too not just the kind of palm reading bollocks that she read about in Witch Weekly. Maybe he had underestimated her.

After a few hours had passed Ron had to admit he was having a good time. Sure there was a bit too much giggling and a few times he had to stop them from saying something about a particular boy he had no right to or interest in hearing about but still all in all it was fun. He had also learned two things, first both Lavender and Parvati had at least some slight skill in Tarot reading and secondly he had absolutely none in it. He had also discovered that a lot of girls were starting to take a good long look at Neville and he wondered how Luna felt about it. As he pondered that he noticed that they were all looking at him and he thought he had heard Harry's named mentioned.

"Ummm sorry did I miss something?" he stammered.

"Not really we were just wondering what it was like to hang around with Harry so much?"

"Well most of time it's great, he's a hell of a bloke. It can get annoying though when everything he does end up in the Daily Prophet."

'Well well that's quiet the harem you have there Weasley. I guess they don't know you can't afford to feed them do they?"

Ron turned to see Malfoy standing with Crabbe and Goyle.

"What's the matter Malfoy, Daddy not buy you a date tonight?"

Draco's face darkened at that and his two flunkies took a step forward and cracked their knuckles.

"You think you're such a big man Weasley. You and that sad excuse for a family are going to get what's coming to them mark my words."

Ron stood up and took a step towards them. "I'll tell you what Malfoy why don't we have this out right now. We can just end all of this rubbish right here. You can even have those two knuckle draggers to help you."

"You'll fight the three of us? Alone?"

"Yep"

"What's the catch Weasel?"

"No catch and only two conditions. First we do it right here so your family can't cry that you were attacked unfairly."

Malfoy nodded "Whats the second condition?"

"Only one of us walks away. We put an end to this for good, right here and right now."

Malfoy went white as a ghost 'We can't do that; the winner will end up in Azkahban."

"You know Malfoy, for such a proponent of that pureblood crap you spout off all the time, you don't know much about wizarding laws. All we have to do is agree to a Blood Feud and our duel is perfectly legal."

Ron looked over at the table "Susan will you be my second?" Susan Bones looked him in the eye for a moment and then nodded her head. At that Ron pointed his wand at the floor and a long thin white line appeared on it. Ron put the point of his left foot on it and looked up at Draco. "I Ronald Weasley, do call forth the right of the Blood Feud on the House of Malfoy and here do I await its champion."

All the eyes in the Great hall turned to Draco Malfoy and he seemed to have started sweating.

"I'm waiting for some of your awesome pureblood magic Malfoy." Ron taunted.

Malfoy took a step forward and then took one backwards just as quickly.

"I should warn you Malfoy, my challenge was deemed worthy by the spell. If you refuse you will pay a price."

Malfoy looked stricken by this knowledge "What sort of price?"

"It varies however normally it is some sort of obvious blemish such as a giant boil or horrible scar. The only way to get rid of it would be for me to agree to its lifting and we both know how likely that is. Now I am going to ask you one last time, will you stand the challenge or will you wear the mantle of coward?"

Draco stood there a moment longer and then with a strangled cry turned and ran from the Great Hall with Crabbe and Goyle right behind him.

Ron lowered his wand and looked around '"Well I should have known that ruddy git wouldn't have the bollocks to fight."

Lavender's voice broke through his thoughts 'Well honestly Ron I wouldn't fight you either."

Ron laughed "Ok but you wouldn't treat people like Malfoy does either."

She smiled at him "No I wouldn't especially if I knew there were people around like you and Harry looking to hex my arse into oblivion."

Parvati giggled "I think lot's of blokes would like to hex your arse Lavender but you don't have that much free time."

Ron rolled his eyes at Parvati's horrible joke.

"Ron where did you learn that spell you cast to fight Draco?"

"All I can really say Susan is I have some friends who are really interested in the way things were done a long time ago."

She nodded at that and then smiled a bit. "The three of you are pretty interesting people, I'm glad I'm around to see what all happens."

Ron's smile disappeared "Maybe you should rethink that, people around us tend to die."

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Harry had long passed simple boredom. He had left tedium behind two hours ago, now he was out of his bloody mind with boredom. He looked over the book he was supposed to be reading and saw that Hermione was still searching like mad through every book she could get her hands on. The worst part was that he knew for certain that Ginny was waiting for him. Nice soft warm Ginny who always smelled nice and whose lips tasted like heaven.

_Snap out of it Potter, if Hermione notices you daydreaming she will kill you._

Suddenly Hermione slammed her book down on the table "Finally, now we're getting some where."

Harry looked up hopefully "I take it you found something?"

With a huge smile on her face she started explaining it to Harry. "According to this book, at the very founding of Hogwarts, Rowena Ravenclaw left the Cauldron of Medea in the care of the foundation of the school."

Harry looked puzzled "So it's under the school?"

"Well that's what it sounds like but I think it's more of an allusion rather than literal. Now all we have to do is figure out what it really means."

Harry groaned "Do we have to do that tonight?"

Hermione looked up at him and then grinned a bit "Go on Harry, I'm sure Ginny will be more than glad to help you with whatever your problem is."

"You're not coming too?"

"I am going to just look up a few things and then I will be right behind you."

"Hermione I think you're pushing it a bit." Harry said softly.

"Oh Harry I'm not even tired, I normally stay up a lot later studying than this."

"That's not what I mean Hermione."

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Meanwhile Ron and his "harem" were headed to the kitchens for a snack.


	59. Why

Why

As soon as their merry band had reached the kitchens Ron had found a huge chocolate cake and started to devour it. The girls continued to talk about what an arse Malfoy had made of himself but Ron was a man on a mission. Search out the cake and destroy it.

"I can't believe Malfoy called us your harem." Lavender laughed.

Ron swallowed a mouthful of cake and answered "Well that's how Malfoy thinks of people. You are only as good as what you can do for him."

Several of the girls nodded and then Parvati smirked 'Not to mention Hermione would hex all of us back into the Middle Ages for it."

"You better believe it." Ron agreed "I'd rather face ten Death Eaters than one angry Hermione Granger."

Lavender looked at him for a moment and then almost reluctantly asked "Are you two still going out? I keep hearing rumors about how people never see you two together anymore."

Ron smiled "Yeah we are still together, she's just been a bit busy and you know how people here will talk about anything even if they know nothing about it."

"Does it bother you?"

Ron had noticed that all the other girls had stopped talking and were paying attention but he decided it really didn't matter. "Nope not a bit, I knew Hermione was a hardworking studious girl when I fell in love with her. Why would it bother me when it's part of why I love her?"

"Why Hermione?" Lavender asked softly

"I don't understand Lavender."

"Why did you fall for Hermione?"

"Better to ask how I could not have fallen for her. I spent years seeing how good and kind and noble she was. She was always there for Harry and I, even in the darkest of times. She put up with Harry being moody and my being thick. Then in fourth year she matured and I didn't understand what was happening and I acted like a prat after the Yule Ball. Bloody hell, all you have to do is think about S.P.E.W. to understand just how good a person she really is. She's wrong about House Elves but she cares, she cares about people that most of us never even think about. Then in fifth year she was there when I was stinking up the Quidditch field up and most importantly she was with us at the Department of Mysteries when everything went bad."

Ron ran his hands through his hair "Merlin, Lavender you can't imagine, after they got my head cleared up from that hex I saw her laying on the floor and I thought she was dead. It felt like the sun had set for the final time, I couldn't even think straight."

By now all of the girls were giving him their undivided attention and all of them were sporting huge smiles. For some reason Ron felt like sharing tonight so he kept talking.

"That's why I went to Egypt in the first place, Hermione was on the road to being a wonderful woman and I felt like I was still a little boy. Well Bill set me straight on some things and I finally got the nerve to tell my beautiful girlfriend how I felt. I don't deserve her but since no one really can I thought I would try anyway."

He paused again and with a deep breath keep going "You know I always thought if I told Hermione how I felt she would laugh at me. It's not enough that she's the smartest person I've ever met, she's also has the ability to make my heart race with a smile. It's maddening, half the time I don't know if I want to snog her senseless, just look at her for hours or listen to her talk about anything. Oh and Merlin help me if I touch her. She has the softest skin and she smells like every good thing in the world wrapped up in one scent. She's so beautiful to me that sometimes it hurts to look at her."

He sort of gave a little chuckle and then he noticed that half of the girls were crying and laughing at the same time.

"So you see Lavender it won't make a difference how busy Hermione is, she's got me hooked for good."

That set the rest of the girls who weren't crying off and then he heard the unmistakable sound of a sniffle coming from behind him. He fought the urge to turn around and instead looked up at Lavender. "The other sixth year Gryffindor prefect is standing behind me isn't she?" he asked.

lavender laughed and nodded.

Ron turned around to see Hermione leaning against the wall tears pouring down her cheeks. "'Mione how long have you been there?"

"Long enough to remember it's been too long since we've gone up to the Astronomy tower."

"I thought you were researching tonight."

"I am I'm just going to do some field research." she said with a smirk "and you look like a likely candidate."

They quickly said good night to everyone in the kitchens and left after Hermione told them to make sure they cleaned up after themselves so the House Elves wouldn't have extra work. They were quiet for a while as they walked then Hermione looked up at Ron and laughed "I can't believe you said that in front of half the female population of Hogwarts."

"Why not?"

"Well you didn't used to be so open about what you felt."

"True but I used to be a lot of things I'm not now. I just finally understood what dad meant when he told us to never be afraid to say what you think is right. You won't regret saying it but you might regret not saying it."

"Still it's got to be hard to express your feelings like that."

"Not really, if you mean it then that's all that matters. With the way things are going in the world I'm not going to leave anything unsaid anymore."

"Do you really think things are bad Ron?"

"I reckon they are and I believe they are going to get worse. I have to do some field work of my own tomorrow so for now can we just be with each other for a while and let the world sort itself out?"

Hermione just nodded and with a smile lead him up the steps to the Astronomy Tower.

A/N Sorry if it seems like I am slowing the plot down. Trust me I will serve a purpose. As the saying goes, the devil is in the details.


	60. Striking back

Striking back

As Ron looked around the room one thing stuck out in his mind.

_I know none of these people's real names and yet I might die with them today._

The mission plan had been simple. The Orders intelligence had discovered a Death Eater safe house where they had Death Eaters making potions and portkeys for Death Eater operations. According to intelligence there were never more than four Death Eaters at the safe house at any one time. The assault force consisted of three knight teams, four man at arms teams and two squire teams for a total of eighteen people not including the scout team already on the ground. Seemed like a lot of overkill for a simple operation to Ron but he was just glad to be getting out in the field. Shaking himself from his thoughts he forced himself to pay attention to Talon as he laid out the attack plan.

"As you know we have a scout team already watching the location. The location itself has a few challenges all its own. First there are several out buildings in addition to the farm house. Our scouts have never seen these buildings in use by Death Eaters however we cannot assume that there will not be any danger from that direction. Also the farm is very close to a sizable forest with heavy underbrush, it is not inconceivable that there could be some form of Dark Creatures dwelling there. Secondly we have no information on the layout of the farm house. I think it safe to say that it will have some from of basement and there may even be a tunnel that can be accessed from said basement. The key to this operation will be speed. We want to get in and capture the Death Eaters then take them to the Ministry office to turn them over for trial. To do this we must strike quickly, we will have a, anti-apparition field in place but it will be active for a short time only. Death Eaters may well have portkeys set for here as well so we must watch for reinforcements arriving at any moment. We have several teams here that have yet to go on any combat operation. Only two of the man at arms teams have combat experience and only the only squire to have any is Fury. I feel it prudent to let all of you know at this time that incase of Dementor attacks that all of the Knights can summon a fully corporal Patronus as can Fury. If we indeed Encounter Dementors postion yourself so that one of these people can protect you from them while you can engage the Death Eaters."

When Talon had mentioned that Ron could cast a fully corporal Patronus Val had looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. Ron had just shrugged and the turned back to Talon.

"We are going to portkey in so we all arrive in our planned locations. Each of the squires will also be given an emergency portkey incase things go wrong. Now we are going to break up into our mission groups and go over our individual group assignments. You have fifteen minutes to iron out any details before we go in."

Ron and Val had been assigned to be Talons wingmen, Talons partner had died last year and since he was the head of the Order he had decided to honor her by not taking another partner. As such he always had a squire team with him for training purposes. Talon waved Ron and Val over and started talking about their assignment. "Alright you two we get a simple job, all we have to do is watch the backdoor and take out anybody who comes through it. The only wrinkle in the whole thing is it will put us very close to the edge of the forest. Now we will have a man at arms team watching the forest at our backs but just incase we should all keep an eye in that direction. Val as the shield squire I want you focused on your area shield charms, as good as you area I'm sure nothing will get through to us. Fury I want you to do what you do best, blow things up. Just make sure there is enough to take to trial is all I ask."

Ron gave Talon a feral grin "I reckon I can do that."

Talon looked at both of them "Most of all I don't want either of you taking unwarranted chances. We are bringing more than enough firepower for this mission so you and a few others can get some valuable experience. That said we don't want to lose anybody in a fight we should win easily. I'm serious about this Fury, I know what you can do and I know you like to be in the thick of it but leave that gunslinger shite here ok?"

Ron laughed "Ok Talon I promise I'll be a good little soldier and follow orders."

"I know you will Fury, you and Val both are going to do fine. I'm going to go make sure the others are clear on their mission objectives before we jump in. When I get back we'll armor up and get ready to port."

Hermione really would like their armoring spell. If was brilliant after all. The spell created a protective armor that absorbed a great deal of physical damage. In addition it would block weak spells as well. Like real armor it would get weaker as it was damaged and the spells strength varied with the strength of the caster. Still it was a great help and had saved Ron from many cuts and bruises during training. It was sort of like a very tough version of Quidditch pads that had no weight and didn't restrain your movements in any way. The designer of the spell had even added a visual touch which made the armor appear as a version of armor from times past. Most of the members of the Order had their armor appear as heavy plate armor form the late sixteenth century. Ron's however had appeared as a suit of chain maille with boiled leather arm vambraces and grieves. The spell also caused the Order's mask to stay in place. All Order members wore masks whenever they were on operations. This tradition was put into place after a particularly evil Dark Wizard had started hunting down the families of Order members. Since then no Order member was seen in the field without his or her mask. The masks were nothing like Death Eaters mask, in fact they mostly resembled the masks worn at balls which only cover the area around the eyes. The effect was to hide your identity from strangers however a close family member would probably know who you were.

If truth be told Ron thought he cut a rather dashing figure when his armoring spell was active. He had daydreamed a bit about how Hermione might react to seeing it but since the Order forbid the use of the spell outside of combat operations he doubted she would ever see it. Seeing that he had a few minutes left before they had to armor, Ron used the time to check their first aid pouches. Each member was given a first aid pouch which carried a potion of blood replenishment, a potion of flesh mending and a potion of bone mending. Since only the spells of a trained mediwitch could truly mend flesh or bone the potions were merely temporary. They might however give someone the few more minutes which could mean the difference between life and death. Thinking about that caused Ron's thought to shift to the duty he and Val had both had to perform just this morning. They had to write their final letters and put them into safe keeping along with any other final instructions. All Order members were required to have written letter to all their loved ones which would be sent to them on the occasion of the Order member's death.

Now ever since Ron had seen Sirius again he hadn't really been afraid of death, however having to sit down and write those letters had caused him to focus in on how other people might feel if he died and he hadn't enjoyed thinking about that. It was hard enough thinking about how Harry might take his dying but when he thought about what Hermione would go through it shook him up pretty badly.

_Well I guess I'll have to be a bit more careful, if I can._

Talon walked up at that point "Ok you two, time to armor up and get set up around the portkey."

Ron pulled out his wand and started the incantation for the armoring spell "Loricatus Virtus" he called out and felt the spell cover his body. Turning to his right he saw that Val's spell had also worked and she was now covered from head to toe in sixteenth century Gothic plate armor. It was very impressive with intricate fluting and Ron thought that it set an intimidating tone that is if you didn't get close enough to notice the fluting made a very subtle pattern on the armor. Somehow Val's armor was covered in almost unnoticeable sunflower designs. Ron thought that if he was able to teach the spell to Ginny that something like that might happen. He supposed it was his lot in life to be surrounded by fierce yet feminine women. With a grin he laughed at that thought.

_There are definitely worse things than that._

"Val, Fury are you ready?"

Both of them looked at Talon and nodded. Talon looked around the room and gave the order. "Ok grab your portkeys. We'll form up at the site and good luck to all of you."

The first thing Ron noticed after they appeared behind the house was that there were a lot of windows that the Death Eaters could cast spells from and very little cover for the Order members outside the house. Then he noticed that the forest was a lot closer to their position than they had originally thought. This put the man at arms team that was watching their backs almost in their hip pocket leaving them little room to maneuver if things got rough. He looked at Talon and started to mention it when he saw the look in Talon's eyes that told him he didn't need to say anything. Talon quickly told the team watching their backs to go just a bit into the forest and keep an eye out from there. Just as they got into the forest edge and the teams that were going into the house moved into position several loud cracks split the air as four Death Eaters appeared at the front of the house. It took a moment for both the Death Eaters and the members of the Order at the front of the house to realize what was happening and then all hell broke loose.

Spells and screams split the air as the first knight team was overwhelmed by the Death Eaters who had reacted faster.

"Bugger all" Talon snarled

"Talon if we go into the house through the back door we should catch the Death Eaters inside as the take up positions to fire spells at our members out front." Ron blurted out.

"So we'll catch them from behind."

Ron nodded "Then once we have them done we will have the Death Eaters out front in crossfire."

"Good thinking Fury, ok let's move up to the back door. On three I'll go in first and you two follow behind me."

Talon moved to the back landing and crouched by the door. When he was in position Ron moved up while he was being covered by Talon and Val. When Ron had made it Val moved up while being covered by the other two. Talon counted down on his fingers so that Ron and Val could see without him having to talk out loud. Talon pushed the door open with his foot and took a step inside.

Ron heard a voice he didn't recognize scream "Diffindo" and blood spurted from Talon's chest. Ron spotted the Death Eater "Stupefy" he yelled as Val shouted "Protego Maxima". Ron's spell took a Death Eater in the head and a second Death Eater's spell reflected off of Val's shield. Ron pulled back on th other side of the door way.

"I owe you Val, if you hadn't blocked that I'd be in a world of pain." He reached out and grabbed Talon and pulled him back out of the line of fire. Val knelt down and poured a potion of flesh mending and a potion of blood replenishment in Talon's mouth and forced him to swallow it. Ron heard screams coming from up front and it didn't sound like the Order was doing to well.

"Val I'm going to go low in front of the door and try and take out the Death Eater that is covering the door. Move right behind me with a shield incase I miss or he blocks it."

Val nodded and tensed up ready to move as soon as Ron did. Sure enough when Ron moved out into the doorway the first spell he cast was blocked easily by the Death Eater and if Val hadn't gotten her shield spell up and covering the both of them Ron would have been badly hexed at the least. The Death Eater was surprised that his spell was blocked and that gave Ron the opportunity to get close enough to Wrestle him to the ground. Val then cast the Petrificus spell to bind him.

Ron sat up and wiped his face "Thanks Val he was pretty strong. That's twice now I would have bought it if you hadn't been here."

Val smiled "We that's why we have partners. So we are in, now what?"

'We need to try and make it to the front of the house. With a bit of luck we can stun most of the Death Eaters from behind before they know we are here."

With that he slowly moved towards the front of the house. He could hear shouted hexes and some laughter coming from inside the house. Just as he reached the entrance into the room the Death Eaters were fighting from he heard several more screams from outside.

Several voices from inside the room screamed "Crucio" and the screams from outside got worse. Ron's head jerked up at the screams of his Order brothers and sisters. The stunning spell on his lips died and he found himself screaming "Furate Manus Incindius".

He felt the rage boil out of him in a swirling cloud at the Death Eaters as he began to speak. Images of the fight in Egypt flashed through his mind. Picture of the uncles he never got to meet appear in front of him. He saw Harry just after he had escaped from Voldemort after the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Ginny's face in the Chamber of Secrets appeared as well. As the last word escaped his lips he saw Hermione as she lay unmoving on the floor of the Department of Mysteries.

One of the Death Eaters started shouting "Avada Ke….." when the front room erupted in a swirling hell of fire and the screaming outside stopped as the screaming inside began.


	61. Striking back part two

Striking back part two

Ron recoiled from the force of his spell going off as the heat from the flames pushed back into the hallway he was standing in.

"Great Merlin Fury, did you mean to do that?"

Ron started for a moment and then looked at Val.

"Yeah pretty much."

The few moments they had stood talking in hushed tones had allowed the smell of burned clothing and flesh to reach them. Ron blanched for a moment then managed to keep his face straight.

"What the bloody hell happened in here?" Talon gasped from where he stood leaning against a doorway.

"Fury went barmy and blew everything to shite." Val laughed.

As they stood there they noticed that some of the Death Eaters were moving, well maybe moving was to strong a word really it was more like twitching. Talon ran to the front door and opened it.

"We need to get some healers in here fast; we have some prisoners in bad shape."

Ron heard movement from out front and I guessed that the teams out there had recovered from the spell damage they took, well at least he hope they had. Several Order members moved through the front door and started to try and heal the fallen Death Eaters well enough so they could be taken to the French Ministry's offices.

"Saints preserve us." A thick Irish accent broke the silence. "Who caused this nightmare?"

Val just inclined her head towards Fury.

"Well of course he did, if ye name a lad Fury then ye had best expect him to do some damage."

The three of them chuckled for a moment "I'd help with the healing but I'm utter shite with that kind of spell." Ron said softly.

Talon nodded before replying "You're not the only one, I haven't ever been any good at healing spells. As soon as they can move the prisoners we need to get out of here before they get reinforcements."

The Order members who had started the healing were just starting to gather the prisoners up and they had informed Talon that none of the Death Eaters had in fact died and they all were probably going to survive. Talon told them to get a move on and turned back to Ron and Val to say something when they heard one of the man at arms team watching the backdoor scream "We've got Trolls on the way."

Talon cursed under his breath and headed for the back door with Ron and Val hot on hiss heels. They got to the back door as the man at arms team reached it as well. About two hundred feet away moving through the edges of the forest were at least six and maybe more fully grown Trolls. Ron took a second look at them and realized they were armed with large swords instead of clubs and were wearing what seemed to be some sort of armor.

"Who in the ruddy hell has heard of intelligent Trolls?" he snarled

Talon looked at him "Well today you learn something, not all Trolls are stupid club wielding monsters that are easy to trick. We will have to take them down fast and they are very resistant to stunning spells."

Both Ron and Val nodded silently.

"One more thing" Talon added "If one of those swords hit you, you probably won't live long enough to be healed."

Val looked nervous at that last statement but Ron laughed "Well you sure know how to keep up morale Talon."

Talon stared at him for a second and then laughed at Ron "Val was right, you are absolutely barmy."

"Well if you really believe that then I would hate to disappoint you." With that Ron moved out of the back door and kicked into a run moving at a right angle away from where the Trolls were slowly making their way towards the farm house. To her credit it only took Val a second to recover before she headed out behind him.

"Ok smart arse I take it you have a plan?" she snarled.

Ron laughed at her as he ran "Well sort of, it's more like I want to get them in a crossfire and keep them away from the house until they get the prisoners out."

From behind them they could already hear Talon shouting curses at the lead troll.

"Listen Val, we may not be able to stun them but I bet if both of us hit them with a full body bind at the same time they won't be able to resist."

"Whatever you say Fury, just remember I have a party to go to tonight and if I show up dead my fiancée will be pretty unhappy." Val smirked.

Ron settled behind a group of trees for a moment "You know Val you're just as barmy as I am. Alright on three we hit the Troll that's right in front of us got it?"

"Just say the word."

"One…two…three…Petrificus Totalus…….SHITE run"

The two spells had slammed into the Troll but seemed to have no effect at all. Thirty seconds later the Troll's sword slammed into the ground where Val had been moments before.

Ron could hear Talon cast spells from over by the farm house but he couldn't tell if they were having any effect. Taking a chance he dove to his right and rolled on his back. "Tarantallegra" he shouted at the Troll that had been bearing down on them. To his relief the spell seem to affect the Troll and it went into a frenzied dance which almost immediately caused him to fall to the ground. When Ron stood up he could see that three of the Trolls had almost lumbered their way to within striking distance of the farmhouse. There was also one Troll lying face down on the ground and another still trying to get his legs to stop dancing.

"Val if we don't come up with something soon Talon is going to be in a lot of trouble."

Val looked concerned but Ron could tell she was having a bit of trouble staying calm.

"I'm going to try a spell I've never cast before Val but I think it should work."

"Don't do anything stupid Fury."

"If you have any better ideas I'm ready to listen."

Ron took Val's silence as an indication that she did in fact not have any better ideas. Taking one last moment he steadied himself and pointed his wand at the Troll about to swing at Talon. His voice sounded scraped and raw as he shouted 'Phasmatis Torqueo".

As soon as the word left his mouth the Troll he had targeted grabbed his head in his hands and let out a very loud deep scream. This continued for about a minute and only ended when that Troll fell to the ground with blood spraying from a gash along the side of his head. The other Troll's had stopped to stare at the fallen Troll and then looked at each other as if unsure of what to do.

"Fury what in the hell did you do to that Troll."

"It's a spell called 'Spirit Rack', basically it attacks the targets psyche, the more intelligent the target the better."

"So it wouldn't work on you at all since you're an idiot? Is that some kind of Dark spell?"

"Bloody hell Val, do you think I would use the Dark Arts? I found that spell in a book at my school."

"Sorry it just scared the hell out of me." She pointed at where the Troll's were running back to the forest "Seems like it scared them as well."

Ron just nodded still a bit put off by the Dark Arts question.

As soon as they reached Talon he told them that the last of the prisoners and just been taken out and they were heading back to the chapter house. With a quick nodded they activated their portkey and he felt the quick jerk behind his navel that always accompanied portkey travel. Then they were standing back in the chapter house and talon was telling them to head to the meeting room for debriefing. As they walked down the passageways to the room Ron's stomach started to growl.

"Blimey Fury how can you be hungry? Those Troll's scared the shite out of me and I may never forget what you did to those Death Eaters and you're thinking about food?"

Ron just shrugged. "I know today was a bit much but you'll get used to it and we won't do anybody any good by going hungry now will we?"

Val just shook her head and laughed "Merlin help whatever girl is barmy enough to fall in love with you're insane arse."

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The Debriefing had gone well and Ron had been happy to see that Talon was just fine after a quick trip to the healers ward. Val had been unable not to tell everyone at the chapter house about the fight at the farmhouse and now the other squires had started referring to him as Firestorm Fury. For someone who had been hoping just to blend in at the start this was not that welcome. In fact for the couple of hours that he had been at the chapter house the teasing of the other squires had gotten pretty bad. It stopped however when one of the senior knights reminded them that perhaps it was unwise to take the micky out of someone who had just blasted a bunch of Death Eaters to rubbish.

Ron would have loved to spend the night here in the chapter house but he still had a study session that night and if Hermione found out he was off of the school ground she might fly apart at the seams. As the steam of the shower slowly heated the room and he stepped under the hot stream of water Ron thought about all of the actions that had led up to his being here.

_I know I'm doing something that makes a difference but I miss doing it with my friends._

He stayed deep in thought for a while and ended up taking the longest shower he had ever taken but he felt a great deal better. He was weighing his chances of luring Hermione out of the library tomorrow for a short walk in the snow and perhaps even a Gryffindor snowball battle when Ron heard the door to his room at the chapter house swing open.

"Fury you in there?"

"Yeah Val I'm in the shower, you need something?"

"I just wanted to tell you I got both of our stipends and I'm leaving yours on your bed."

"Thanks Val, have a good rest of the weekend and I'll see you in training next week."

"You too Fury, I was shocked earlier but I wanted to tell you I'm proud to be your partner. You really know how to show a girl a really wild time."

Ron laughed from inside the shower "You have no idea Val, lately I can't even go shopping without Death Eaters showing up."

Val just nodded for a moment and with a smile said "Yeah I saw the picture in the Daily Prophet."

Ron laughed and then he caught the reality of what she had said "So then you know ……"

"Yeah I know your real name and who your best mate is. Don't worry Fury you can trust me."

Ron paused for a moment and thought about it and then decided he did really trust her. "Well since you already know, when we're alone its ok if you call me Ron.

"Fury if you don't mind can I ask you a question?"

"Sure go ahead if you don't mind having a conversation with a bloke in the shower."

"What's it like being the best mate of Harry Potter?"

"Truthfully it's great and scary and insane and wonderful and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"I figured as much, well take care and try not to be so barmy. I'll see you in a few days."

"You take care too, if I were you I wouldn't mention that you spent the day with an incredibly attractive bloke to your fiancée." he teased.

"Oh I don't know, I think he would like Talon." she shot right back.

Ron laughed as she walked out of his room.

Ron stayed in the shower for a few more moments and then got out and slowly dried off. Then with the towel wrapped around his waste he walked out into his room where he was surprised to find Talon sitting on his bed.

"Sorry to intrude Fury but I wanted to commend you for your actions today. Very few squires have ever performed as well under fire as you did."

"Well I couldn't have done it with out Val she saved my hide twice today."

Talon nodded "You two make a good team. I was really impressed by your control of that fire spell."

Ron frowned "What do you mean?"

"Well you did a great deal of damage but didn't do so much damage to any one death eater that they died. It takes a great deal of control to do that."

Ron decided not to mention that he hadn't been trying not to kill any of them and had just let the spell fly as soon as he could. He tried to think of what he could honestly say and just decided to shrug.

"Since you and Val did so well today I'm going to take the two of you along on a much bigger mission we have in the preliminary planning stages. You think you two can handle it?"

"I reckon I do but the important thing is do you think we can?"

Talon chuckled "Well you two have already saved my sorry hide once so I guess you two can handle it."

By the time Ron got back to Hogwarts he thought he was going to starve to death. The fact that he had to run through the castle in order to make it in time to eat dinner didn't seem to help his rapidly flagging energy levels. He flopped down in a seat beside Harry and started to pile his plate with just about anything he could get his hands on. Then he started to shovel food into his mouth as fast as he could as he hunched over his plate.

"Ronald Weasley you are not some sort of savage, now sit up and use proper table manners for once in your life."

The rest of the table laughed at Ron's face as he sat straight up as soon as he heard Hermione's voice. He swallowed hard "Sorry 'Mione I was just really hungry."

Hermione's face softened a bit "Still that's no reason to act like an animal at the dinner table."

"I know" Ron made a concerted effort to eat more slowly and to maintain good posture while eating but in truth he thought it was a bit silly.

The conversation at the table soon turned to the next week's classes and to the upcoming Valentine's party. All of the students were looking forward to the next Friday's Defense Against the Dark Arts classes as Professor Leonidas had promised them a bit of a change from their normal dueling.

"Maybe we are going to be dueling different people?" Neville guessed.

"That might be nice, and then Ron might win one for a change." Harry smirked.

"Go on Potter keep taking the micky, your times coming" Ron laughed.

"Well it certainly is taking a long enough time to get here." Harry shot right back.

"Are you all getting dressed up for the Valentine's party?" Lavender asked directing the discussion away from the previous topic.

"I'm doing what ever Hermione wants me to do. I'm not buggering this up like that bloody Yule ball."

Everyone laughed at Ron and then laughed again when Neville laughed so hard at the memory of Ron and Hermione's fight that he had pumpkin juice come out of his nose. Hermione on the other hand seemed so please by what Ron had said that she didn't even remark on Ron's questionable language. The nest few minutes were spent as everyone tried to pick their favorite thing about that monumental row of their fourth year. The winner seemed to be that Ron had thought that Hermione missed the point of the argument at the end. This led to any number of how can Ron be that thick jokes.

"Laugh at me all you want git's, I got the girl in the end." he said rather smugly.

"Oh Ron I meant to tell you, I have tonight free after all so I can help you with your Transfiguration homework." Hermione said while looking in her lessons planner.

"Er..thats ok 'Mione, when you said you were busy I found somebody to help me. In fact I should be seeing about that soon."

Hermione looked up curiously "Who is helping you?"

Ron had to swallow a large mouthful of food to answer "Daphne Greengrass."

"YOU'RE studying with a Slytherin?" Neville asked shocked.

"Which one is she?" Hermione asked trying to picture the girl in question.

"She's the little blonde with the magnificent arse." Seamus spoke up without thinking.

Harry snorted into his cup but managed not to spill any pumpkin juice.

"Too right mate, she does have a dead sexy arse but she's always seemed a little scary too." Neville said blushing a bit.

"Neville Longbottom, you have a very sweet girl friend so I had better not hear you talking about other girl's bottoms again." Ginny snarled "As for you Mr. Potter I had better not see you check out the afore mentioned bottom either."

Harry tried his best to look indignant "You mean you're not the only girl here at Hogwarts?"

All of the other guys snorted at that last statement but it seemed to pacify Ginny so Harry thought the other guys could just bugger off.

"So Weasley are you ready to get started?"

Ron turned around to see Daphne standing behind him "Yeah I'm ready if you are.. He took one last drink of pumpkin juice and set his glass back down.

"Ok guys I'll see you later. Hopefully I'll get back before you go to bed 'Mione."

"Don't worry I have a feeling I'll still be up whenever you get back."

A/N: With a little luck I will post another Chapter on Christmas day for all of you loyal and wonderful reviewers. Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas, Merry Yule and season's greeting to all.

Remember Mistletoe is the for a reason.


	62. Friend or foe

Friend or Foe

It took a moment of concentration but Ron was finally able to transform the seashell he was looking at into a magnifying glass.

"It's about ruddy time." he said tiredly.

Daphne laughed a bit "It didn't take you that long Weasley. I think now that you have the wrist movement down you will catch on a lot faster in this type of Transfiguration."

"Well if I do it's due to your help Greengrass."

"I was glad to help but do me a favor and don't let my housemates find out. I can imagine Malfoy's face when he found out that I was helping a Weasley."

"Now that would be a sight worth seeing" he replied

"Maybe for you but I would have to listen to his whining for days and it's not like he doesn't have enough to whine about as it is."

"I can't imagine living with Malfoy is a joy but then again it can't be very nice being in Slytherin to begin with."

Daphne's smile disappeared "You know I thought for a bit you were different than the other Gryffindork's but I guess that was too much to ask for."

"What do you mean by that Greengrass." Ron's playful banter had vanished and a frown was threatening to take over from his normal smirk.

"What I mean is I thought you weren't the type of person to look down on someone just because of what house they were in. You know this may surprise you but I like being in Slytherin."

"How can you like being in Slytherin? I mean there a whole lot of nasty people in there."

"I don't know if I should even bother. It must be nice to live up in your Gryffindor tower where everyone is so brave and nobody ever makes a mistake or acts selfish."

"Now that's not what I'm saying but there's a reason why nobody trust's Slytherins."

Daphne had dropped all pretense of having a calm disagreement and had started yelling at Ron. "Oh I get it; all Slytherin's are Death Eaters or Death Eaters in training and can't be trusted. You know just because we don't run around playing the hero and trying to get our heads blown off that doesn't mean we are all in league with You Know Who. I'm getting a little sick and tired of having to justify my being at Hogwarts just because closed minded people like you don't understand not everybody in Slytherin is evil."

"I am not closed minded I have good reasons not to trust most Slytherin's."

"Oh yeah, what good reason's? Let me guess Malfoy and his two drones have been mean to you? Well guess what; those fools have been mean to a lot of people Slytherin's included but that doesn't mean the whole house should suffer for it."

Ron scoffed "What do you mean suffer? It's not like we go around hexing you guys or anything."

Daphne looked very sad for a moment "You know people can suffer in a lot of ways without being hexed. Slytherin's are never welcome at most of the parties people throw around here, not to mention how people from other Houses look at you if you ask them out. Last week I found a bunch of Ravenclaw fourth years pushing a couple of our first years around. After I scared the Ravenclaws off the first years asked me why everybody hated us and it took me an hour to get them to stop crying and asking to go home."

"Yeah well those Ravenclaws were wrong I'll give you that but no Gryffindor would do that."

"Oh no Gryffindor's are too good for that, they are too noble to be cruel like that, instead you are cruel in countless other ways. From the way you to seem not to see any Slytherins but Malfoy and his goons to having to hear how wonderful you all are from the other teachers. It's like the old saying goes, all the Houses are equal but Gryffindor is more equal than the others."

"Oh please" Ron smirked "You try being in Gryffindor and dealing with Snape, any excuse to take points or give out a detention no matter how minor is fine with him. Not to mention that Slytherin's never lose points in his class no matter how bad they get. Don't even try to say you don't know what I'm talking about."

Daphne nodded but countered right back "Sure Professor Snape treats you guys badly but do you ever think why? Is it possible that we get shafted all over the school and he is trying to balance it out in the wrong way? Sure the Professor treats us better than you but what about McGonagall and Hagrid? McGonagall tries to be fair but she is such a Gryffindor that it's hard for her and bloody hell Hagrid is in love with you Gryffindors. Then we have good Professor Dumbledore, I like the man myself but let's be honest, he let's Gryffindor's get away with a lot more than the rest of the house's do."

"There are a lot of things going on there that you don't know about and I think Dumbledore has been way too easy on Malfoy's as well."

She nodded "Yes he has and I don't know why. Everything would be so much easier if he got expelled."

There was a pause in the conversation for a moment and just as Daphne was about to leave Ron spoke up "Look we can argue about who is right or wrong forever and it won't do any good. You see things one way and I see them another. What we can do is to not let stuff from the past screw up the future. We have a Hogsmeade weekend on Valentines day before the party that night. Why don't you come to the Three Broomsticks and have a butterbeer with us?"

She looked at him for a moment "You know you might get a lot of rubbish from your mates."

"I might" he replied "but I don't think I will. It's time to stop all this bloody fighting over nothing."

"You mind if I bring a few friends?" she replied.

Ron paused for a moment, having Daphne meet them was one thing but having other Slytherins he didn't know show up was another thing entirely.

_Well I guess there's only one way to find if this can even work. In for a penny, in for a pound they say._

"Bring whoever you like, I trust you. I'll invite a few people from the other Houses as well. We can make it a pre-party party." he grinned.

She stared at him for a second "You know I never thought I would hear a Gryffindor say they trusted me."

That statement took Ron by surprise but he recovered nicely "Let's hope it's the first of many shall we?"

"We'll see Weasley, we'll see."

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To Daphne's chagrin Ron had insisted on walking her back to the Dungeons. When he had remarked that it was dangerous walking around down there she had noted that it was only really dangerous for Gryffindors. Ron had just laughed but truthfully he was more careful making his way back from the dungeons. Since he was already breaking the rules he decided to go by the kitchens and make a sandwich, after all it was still eight hours until breakfast. After putting together a huge sandwich that he was sure Hermione would say was way too large if she were there he headed back to his common room. As soon as he stepped into the common room he noticed that there was only one person still in it.

Hermione had fallen asleep on one of the couches reading Hogwarts A History. She looked so peaceful that Ron didn't want to wake her up but he knew that she would be sore if she slept on the couch all night. He also knew that no matter what he couldn't carry her up to her room. Both he and Harry had spent a great deal of time last year tying to get passed the girl's dorms protections and all they had discovered was that no prank was worth the bruises they kept getting.

_I reckon there is only one thing I can do then._

Ron slowly lifted her up moving as gently as possible, doing his best not to wake her. He moved as fluidly as possible up the stairs to the sixth year boy's dorm. When he got to his dorm he walked over to the bed, glad he had left the curtains open and softly laid Hermione on the bed. Then he walked over to Harry's trunk and pulled out his invisibility cloak. Once he had placed the cloak at the foot of his bed he sat down at his desk and started wring Hermione a note.

'Mione

You looked so peaceful I couldn't wake you up to go to bed and since I couldn't take you up to your dorm I brought you to mine. As much as I would have liked to sleep next to you tonight I don't think you would have been quite comfortable with it and I know you hate breaking those kinds of rules. So I am going to enspell the bed curtains so no one can see you in my bed. Harry's invisibility cloak is at your feet so you can get back to your room without being seen in the morning, that way no one will tease you or think anything happened. Have a good night and I'll see you in the morning.

Ron

Then Ron cast a sticking spell on the back of the parchment and placed it so Hermione would see it first thing in the morning. With one last smile he pulled the blankets up so she wouldn't get cold and headed back down to the common room to finish his sandwich and try and get some sleep.

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The first thing Hermione noted was the smell; even before she opened her eyes she knew that there were boys near by. She had often wondered how boys could have their own scent that was so different than girls. Then when she was a few years older she had noticed that all boys had a different smells. She could tell if a shirt belonged to Ron or Harry just by the smell and the smell that surrounded her now was all Ron. It was a very grassy scent, very natural and one that could cause her to imagine all sorts of activities that you could do on grass that her parents would not approve of. She was glad later that the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the note from Ron. Right then however she had one thought in her mind when she read it.

_Where are my clothes?_

Even as she thought it she knew that Ron would not have undressed her while she was asleep. Pushing back the covers she noticed that she was fully dressed and the only thing that had been changed was that he must have loosened her tie. Knelling on the bed Hermione covered herself in the Invisibility cloak and headed out to her dorm. When she got down to the common room she noticed Lavender and Parvati were leaning slightly over the back of one of the couches and giggling. Hermione walked over to the front of the couch to see what they were looking at. It seemed that Ron had gone to sleep on this particular couch and that the blanket he was using had slipped off in the middle of the night leaving him mostly exposed aside from a pair of boxer shorts. Hermione could feel herself getting angrier as she stood there and the only thing stopping her from screaming at the two of them was having to explain why she was under an Invisibility cloak in the wrinkled clothes she had been wearing last night. In the end she decided to go upstairs and get dressed and to figure out a way to let those two giggling idiots know to never look at other people's boyfriends when they were half dressed.

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"Ginny wake up"

"Five more minutes Mum." Ginny slurred.

"Ok for Merlin's sake Ginny wake up."

Ginny slowly came to her sense's to see Hermione standing by her bed.

"Is there something I can do for you Hermione?" Ginny snarled none too politely.

"I want to show you something but I need you to be able to pay attention first."

"Ok ok but this had better be important."

Ginny sat up and ran her fingers through her hair the she rubbed her eyes and looked at Hermione. "All right I'm awake now whats so important that it couldn't wait until after breakfast?"

'I wanted to show you this and I need either Ron or Harry to be in the room of requirements when I show you."

Ginny looked puzzled when Hermione pulled out a small orb from the pockets of her robes.

"Is that a crystal ball Hermione?"

Hermione shook her head "No divination is rubbish and you know it. This is an orb this particular orb allows me to see whats going on in the Room of Requirements but only if Ron or Harry are in there."

"Why only Ron or Harry?"

"Well the spell only works if you have some sort of connection to the person. Harry is like my brother so it's enough to be a family connection."

"And you wish you were already part of my big brother's family right?"

Hermione flushed at Ginny's statement but continued on "I made this so I could keep an eye on their training. It's starting to sound really dangerous to me and I don't want those two going too far."

"Are you sure we should be spying on them Hermione?"

"Would you rather find out they got themselves killed?"

Ginny paled and shook her head.

"Anyway it's just a precaution. What you do is you picture the person you want to see and it shows you what is around them and what is going on. Put your hand on the orb and say "With a loving heart I must see." and then think of who you want to see."

Ginny followed the instructions and she could see Harry covered in sweat leaning over Ron who was trying to lift some sort of long bar with circles on the end.

"Hermione what are they doing?"

Hermione rolled her eyes "Ron saw a television show at my house about weight lifting and thought it might be good for their training so he talked the rest of the idiots into it."

"Will it help them?"

"I don't know, it might help them in Quidditch but it really just makes you stronger."

At that point Ginny noticed something in the orb and decided to mention it to Hermione "Did you know that Susan Bones was training with them?"

"No I didn't" Hermione said coldly "I wonder how she got in their merry little band."

Ginny missed Hermione's expression 'I don't know but it doesn't look like fun."

"Well Susan seems to be having a good time."

"I can't imagine how." Ginny replied "From the looks of it I'd rather be at Potions and that's saying something." Ginny yawned "Oh Hermione are you and Ron dressing up for the Valentines party? I know he's going to go along with whatever you want and I thought it might be nice to dress up."

"Wanting to let Mr. Potter see a little bit of skin Miss Weasley?" Hermione smirked.

"Well I might you know, at least then I might not end up a poor old virgin like Miss Granger."

"Ginny" Hermione shrieked and snatching up a pillow smacked Ginny soundly across the head.


	63. Empowering

Empowering

"Hermione where are we going?"

"We're going to find something Ginny, something important."

"Do you think you could tell me what we are trying to find?"

"You two will know it the minute we see it."

Ginny shook her head in dismay. "Luna do you know what we are looking for?"

"No sorry Ginny, I only came because I wanted to get out of the castle."

Hermione looked cross at Luna's last statement but was forced to concede that she hadn't told the two girls anything and yet they had both come with her.

Hermione knew she had to be close to the site so she stopped and took a moment to look around. Noticing a thick grove of trees just ahead she motioned for the two girls to follow her towards them. This grove was strangely lacking in the normal undergrowth that usually made walking through forested areas so hard. As soon as Hermione passed through the outer ring of oak trees she saw them. Thirteen large stones forming a circle on the crest of this hill.

"This is what we have been looking for Ginny."

"I admit this is impressive Hermione but why are we looking for it in the first place?"

"This is a Circle of Power Ginny, everybody knows that." Luna said in that sing song voice of hers.

"You know about Circles Luna? Most of what I've read said they had fallen out of use."

"My Mum used to tell me all about them before she died. She said that too many women had forgotten their innate power."

"Do you know how they work then?"

"Mum said they were all different and some of them had purposes but in general they can be used to magnify power and covens of witches can use them for ritual magic."

"So a certain number of witches could cast the same spell and have it be greatly more powerful?"

"Something like that, the magic of circles is different than normal magic though. It's not the magic of formulas and wand movements. It's power by the sense of sharing and openness between the member's of the coven"

"So that's why it has to be women only then?"

Luna nodded "According to what Mum said men aren't comfortable enough with opening themselves up to a large number of people. Because of that the magic won't work for them."

"Seems a bit odd that someone could do a kind of magic merely because of their gender doesn't it Hermione?" Ginny remarked.

Hermione nodded and then pulled a face "It doesn't seem normal from what we've learned in all of our classes but men and women are different. Not just biologically either so I guess it could all be true."

Luna had walked over to one of the stones and put her hand on it. Her face lit up with a smile and she looked over at the others. "Touch one of the stones."

Both Hermione and Ginny moved over to touch one of the standing stones. As soon as she touched it she could feel the power pulsing through it. Not only that, she could also feel knowledge being imparted to her. Images of how the stones had been used in the past and too what effect flashed through her mind. She staggered a bit when she realized that the stones were far older than Hogwarts. The school might have even been built here because of the proximity to the stones. She could also sense both Luna's and Ginny's responses to the stones and through this could see them for who they really were.

Hermione gasped as she was the power and wisdom that Luna managed to hide with a few silly smiles and odd statements. She was equally impressed with the raw power and passion that seemed to be shining from Ginny. Then the power of the stones pulled her even deeper into the other girls. She saw how fiercely Ginny cared for Harry despite their claims that they were trying to not get too attached to quickly. She saw how Luna had fallen for Ron during last year and despite how happy she was with Neville she still carried just a tiny torch for Ron. Hermione knew the other two were seeing into her as well and she could hear Ginny's teasing laugh when Ginny discovered how aroused Hermione got when Ron got protective of her. She felt Luna's sympathetic sigh when Luna saw just how crazy Hermione was for Ron.

The three of them had lost all sense of time and when they finally pulled apart from the stones Hermione discovered that at least three hours had passed.

"You want to know something amazing?" Luna said into the silence.

Ginny and Hermione both nodded.

"It's going to be even more powerful at night."

"Hermione, can we tell the boys about this?" Ginny asked softly.

Hermione paused for a moment and bit her bottom lip "Eventually we will but right now I think we should keep it to our selves for just a bit. Only until we understand exactly what we are going to be able to do with the new power."

"We also need to gather a few more people for this, girls who are better at certain types of magic than we are, maybe someone who is good at Divination." Luna suggested.

Hermione looked at Luna for a moment "That's a really good idea, why don't you see who we can get to join us and I'll start to work on finding out what all we can do with this type of power."

Luna nodded and then Ginny spoke up "What would you like for me to do Hermione?"

"I need you to do something important but I have to tell you Ginny you aren't going to like it."

"Then I'll deal with it but you have to at least tell me what it is don't you?"

Hermione nodded "I need you to keep Harry and Ron away from me for a couple of weeks until I get this figured out. I'm already up to my neck in work and I won't be able to do this unless I'm left alone."

Ginny looked at Hermione for a long time "Ok Hermione I'll do it but are you certain you want me keeping Ron away from you?"

"Of course not but it's the only way I'll get all of this taken care of."

"I take it you will want to wait until after this weekend?"

"Why would I want to wait?"

Ginny rolled her eyes "Because this is the Hogsmeade weekend, you know Valentines day. I'm pretty sure you don't want me to keep him away from you then right?"

Hermione thought for a moment "Alright you can start the Monday after this weekend but you are going to have to keep him busy."

"Can I tell Harry so he can help me?"

"You can get Harry to help you but you can't tell him exactly why."

"These secrets may turn around to bite us on the arse you know Hermione."

Hermione whirled around at Ginny "Do you think I like keeping these bloody secrets? Well I don't I hate it. It kills me when I look up into your brother's eye and I know he's telling me everything he possibly can while I am keeping things a secret I may not even think is important. Then there's Harry who thinks I am so naïve and innocent that he needs to protect me from everybody, even Ron sometimes. While I'm at it let's talk about your prat of a brother again, did you know that all of them in that little training class of their have been keeping track of Death Eater movements?"

"Why are they doing that?"

"Those idiots are planning on attacking Death Eater safe houses. They think they need to take the fight to the Death Eaters."

"They are right about that you know." Luna said with a distinct focus in her eyes.

"Of course they are right but that's not the point. The point is that Ron is going to go put his brave arse in danger again and I'm going to have to sit and wait to find out if my boyfriend is going to come back in one piece again. Well sod that, if I have to do a little extra work or a little extra research to keep those morons safe then so be it and you two are going to help me."


	64. A lovely evening

A lovely evening

"Bloody hell Ron wake up."

"Try shaking him."

"You shake him, last time I did I had to go to the hospital wing."

"Ok I'll do it."

Neville leaned through the curtains covering Ron's bed and shook Ron's shoulder hard once and then backed up quickly.

Ron sat up, a scream dying on his lips and he looked around the dark room grabbing his wand. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he saw Neville, Seamus and Dean looking at him a bit scared.

"Ron mate are you all right?"

"I was until you bloody bastards woke me up."

"I can't believe you were asleep. You were yelling like mad, something about Hermione. Not the good kind of yelling either."

Ron rubbed his face and then ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry, I thought I set a silencing charm last night."

Neville looked pale even in the dark "You did Ron, I saw you. We could still hear you through it."

Both Dean and Seamus just nodded behind Neville. Ron looked over at Harry's bed and didn't see any movement.

"Well I hope Harry is getting some rest at least. Look I'm really sorry guys; I'll try and make the charm a bit stronger."

The three of them just nodded and went back to their respective beds. Ron though couldn't get back to sleep and started thinking about the dreams he had been having. He kept seeing something happening to Hermione and him being just a few seconds too late to save her. The way she died changed every night but his being just seconds too late remained the same. It had gotten so bad that Ron had figured out a way to not let Hermione know what he was experiencing. He could now fool the necklace she wore into thinking he was fine when he wasn't. He didn't feel particularly good about doing it but since Hermione was overworking herself and needed all the rest she could get anyway he didn't feel as bad as he might have otherwise. The Hogsmeade weekend and the Valentine's party would be the perfect time to make it up to her, even if she didn't know what he was making up.

As he turned over and tried to get back to sleep he wondered briefly if it was ever going to be easy for all of them.

The next morning came way to soon for Ron and he struggled to get out of bed. To make matters worse Harry had gotten a really good night's sleep and was looking forward to classes that day. Those two things combined to cause the most dreaded event in the Gryffindor sixth year boy's dorm, Harry was singing. Singing though was really too kind for the sort of noise Harry was making and it seemed to be the final insult to Ron who had gotten almost no real sleep and then found himself assaulted by terrible wailing first thing in the morning.

"For Merlin's sake Harry, shut it."

Harry just smiled "Oh come on Ron, it's beautiful day. The sun is shinning and we have Quidditch practice later."

Ron groaned "Oh shite that's today isn't it?"

"It sure is and since I want to beat Ravenclaw we are going to have a really brutal practice."

Ron just snarled and threw a pillow at Ron.

Harry stopped laughing at him for a moment "Seriously Ron if you don't hurry you'll miss breakfast."

At that Ron had jumped out of bed and ignoring his throbbing head, threw on his clothes as fast as possible and ran down the stairs. He burst through the common room and hurried through the hallways and made it to breakfast just in time to load one plate full before the food vanished.

"Ron are you ok?"

Ron turned to see Ginny walking towards him.

"Yeah I'm fine, I've just been having a hard time sleeping."

Hermione looked up from the book she had been reading "You're having trouble sleeping again?"

"Well just a little." He lied.

Hermione hand went up to her neck and her fingers brushed over the necklace he had given her as if she suspected he wasn't being entirely truthful.

"You got an owl before you got down here so I took it. I was a bit surprised it let me since I didn't recognize it but it didn't seem to mind at all."

"Thanks Ginny."

The letter had a gothic style letter B emblazed on the front and was made of a jet black paper. Curious Ron opened it and started to read and choked on his pumpkin juice at the signature on the bottom.

_Ronald Weasley,_

_I am writing to formally request a meeting under the ancient terms of Parley. I believe we have several matters of great importance to discuss. Further more I am indebted to you and wish to discharge said debt as soon as possible. Following the laws of Parley I shall await you on the western side of the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch this Saturday an hour after sundown. In accordance with custom and tradition I will cast the Circle of Peace spell to assure both of our safety. I am certain you will tell no one of our meeting in accordance with tradition as a member of such an old pure blood family._

_Until swords cross,_

_Bellatrix Black_

As Ron stuffed the letter into his pocket ignoring everyone's questioning stares the one thing going through his mind was what the ruddy hell was Parley.

"I'm telling you Neville we just need one more part and it will be ready."

"If you say so Ron but I'm glad you will be testing it and not me."

Ron laughed "It's going to be brilliant mate, I can feel it."

"Maybe so Ron but Hermione is going to go spare when she sees it."

"You know Neville I bet she loves it. Deep down inside there is just a touch of the bad girl in Hermione."

"Must be very deep inside." Neville frowned remembering Hermione catching him and Luna in the Room of Requirements after hours.

Ron laughed at the look on Neville's face "Oh come on mate surely your not still mad about her interrupting you two. She's only trying to be a good prefect."

"You don't take points away when you catch us shagging and you're a prefect."

'True but then again I'm a bad prefect so that could be the difference."

"Ok I see your point. We better get to Directed Studies or Moody will hex us to oblivion."

"Right you are Neville; I can't stay late if we don't make it on time. I need to get to the library."

"Boy Hermione really has had an effect on you if you're going to the library on your own." Neville smirked.

"Shut it you, what do you want to bet that Luna has made you a giant lion's head hat for the next Quidditch game?

Neville went pale "You don't think she has do you?"

Ron just grinned at Neville a bit before replying "I heard her telling Ginny about it I'm so to say mate."

"I wonder if I could just not wear it."

"I don't think there's much chance of that if you want to be going to the room of requirements with her any time soon."

"Now let's hurry up and get to class.

A/N I'm sorry I have to post such a terribly short chapter but I was having formatting problems and this is a quick fix. I would also like to say I'm sorry for my slow posting the last few weeks. I had a slight injury while lifting weights that slows down my typing which isn't very good to begin with.

Belanna30: You are one hundred percent correct, so far there has been no mention of how Hermione knew where or what the Circle is. A bit more will be explained in the next chapter(which my the way is going to have a lot of important information in it) and then There will be a chapter a short time from now which will deal almost totally with that subject.


	65. Valentines Day part 1

Valentines Day part 1

That Friday flew by for Ron classes, the library, dinner, Quidditch practice, a fast shower and prefect rounds with Hermione and finally back to his bed. It was well after midnight before he could close his eyes, exhaustion overwhelming him enough to go to sleep ….

That night Ron found himself walking down the same dark street he had seen many times before. He waited under the lone street light for his visitor. It didn't take long for a figure to appear, making its way out of the shadows. This time, however, Ron was in for a bit of a shock.

"Where's the old man?" he demanded of the smaller figure.

"It was my turn to come this time," the figure answered. "I had some questions."

Ron took a moment before he replied using the time to examine the boy. The skinny kid couldn't have been more than twelve and seemed to be a mass of bright red hair and freckles wearing faded, too short school robes and a Gryffindor tie.

"Well, what do you want to know?" Ron asked recognizing himself.

The kid looked at the ground for a long time shuffling his feet, the tips of his ears turning red from embarrassment; finally he looked Ron in the face, "Am I ever going to stop being such a prat?"

Ron laughed out loud and ran his hands through his hair. Once he had recovered, he turned back to answer the kid, noticing the scowl on his young face.

"Well, really everybody acts like a prat sometimes you know. Did you mean anything in particular?"

The scowl got a bit bigger and the ears turned redder, but the kid finally answered in a quick burst, "Do I ever stop making Hermione mad at me?"

This brought a smile to Ron's face, "Honestly, I still manage to upset her from time to time but we seem to find ways of making up."

The kid looked confused at this point but then a look of surprise ran across his face "Are you telling me I _snog_ Hermione Granger?"

"Only as often as possible kid," Ron chuckled a bit and then walked over to the kid and patted his shoulder. "I'll let you in on a secret; she's bloody brilliant at it too."

The face the kid made threatened to send Ron off into gales of laughter but he somehow managed to keep a straight face.

"Well at least we don't fight as much," the kid answered almost glum. He looked back at the older Ron asked hopefully, " I don't suppose I ever get to play Quidditch, do I?"

Ron nodded "Yep, we play Keeper, this is my second year."

"Are we any good?" the younger Ron asked worried.

"At first we didn't play so well, but then at the end of fifth year we played great in the last game and helped win the Quidditch cup for Gryffindor," the older Ron couldn't help but feel proud of the memory.

"That's bloody brilliant!" the twelve year old smiled in response.

"Yeah I thought so as well," Ron agreed and then sighed remembering where he was, "Ok I have a question for you. Why are you here instead of the old man? Do you have something you're supposed to tell me?"

The kid turned bright red and shuffled his feet for a bit "Yeah, the old man said I should come and remind you of something. He said to remind you of how bad you felt when Hermione got petrified."

"Trust me, I haven't forgotten. It was one of the worst days of my life."

"Yeah, well, I was scared to death. Scared for her, scared for Harry, scared for Ginny and scared for me, too. The old man said you're not scared enough. He said you're getting over confident and it's going to cost you if you keep it up."

Ron had to fight down the surge of anger that seemed close to overwhelming him. "Tell the old man I'm doing the best I can." He turned away breathing deeply trying to force his body to relax.

"Listen to me;" the younger Ron demanded his seriousness startling the older Ron, "He said," the younger boy paled and met the older boy's eyes, "He said they are going to try to kill Hermione. They know if they do that you and Harry will lose hope. Then they can finish Harry off and pretty much run wild."

Ron clenched his fists in rage, "You can be sure I'm not going to let anyone hurt Hermione. I don't care who it is."

"That's the point; she is important to winning the war so you can't just hide her away. You're going to have to remember how it was. _Hermione_ always comes up with the right thing to do and then you're going to have to listen."

Ron opened his mouth to reply when the kid spoke up. "I have to go now; don't forget what I told you, it's important."

Ron just nodded as the kid made his way into the shadows and Ron opened his eyes to the cool darkness of his bed curtains.

"Oy, Weasley, you better hurry up if you're not going to be late for the Hogsmeade trip!" Seamus yelled at him.

"Seriously Ron," Harry added, "We are supposed to meet Ginny and Hermione in front of the school in ten minutes and they will both hex us if we're late."

"Alright Harry I'm up," Ron jumped out of bed forgetting the younger Ron's warnings as he ran into the showers accidentally knocking Neville down as he ran past. "Sorry 'bout that Neville mate," he called over his shoulder.

"No problem Ron," Neville laughed as he picked himself up off the floor, "If I were you I'd be scared of what Hermione would do to you if you're late."

The hiss of the showerhead drowned out the remainder of his roommate's sarcastic remarks.

Once Ron had taken one of the quickest showers of his life, he and Harry sprinted down to the front doors of the castle arriving just in time to start off. He slipped both arms around Hermione's waist and kissed her softly on the base of the neck.

"Looking forward to today's visit love?" he whispered into her ear.

"I am now that you've finally gotten here," she said smiling and turning to look at him. "I was sure you would be late."

Hermione stepped away and reached out to take his hand in hers as they started down the path a few feet behind Harry and Ginny. The couple seemed to be laughing about something involving Quidditch.

Something tugged at the back of Ron's mind as he walked until dawning struck him, "Oh you guys," Ron called to Harry and Ginny, "Before I forget, Daphne and some of her friends are going to be joining us at the Three Broomsticks later."

Both Harry and Ginny stopped and turned to stare at him.

"Ron, are you saying you invited a Slytherin to have butterbeers with us?" Ginny asked incredulously.

Ron took a moment to clear his suddenly scratchy throat, "Sort of, though it might be more accurate to say I may have invited Slytherins to have butterbeers with us."

"Have you gone mad?" Ginny asked. "All those chocolate frogs finally got to you didn't they?"

"Ginny does have a point here Ron; though I can see the value in what you're trying," Harry added placing a hand on Ginny's shoulder.

"Listen Ginny, Hermione has been right about the Sorting Hat's warnings all along. I've just been a bit too thick to understand it. Not all the Slytherins are evil and the sooner we figure out which ones are which the better off we all are."

He felt Hermione tugging very slightly on his hand so he turned to look at her. "I think it's wonderful that you're able to look past stereotypes and get to know how people truly are. Hermione smiled at Ron surprised at his change of attitude.

At that point, Ron would have invited every Slytherin that had ever gone through the doors of Hogwarts just to have her smile like that at him again. He missed the frown that Hermione hid as she looked away. Ron only registered an odd fluttering from his necklace as Hermione quickly hid her own doubts.

The February chill caused the four of them to hurry in their walk towards Hogsmeade where they looked forward to sampling Honeydukes treats and warm butterbeers. Despite the rush, Ron found himself unwilling to surrender Hermione's hand. The cold air had brought a blush to her cheeks that seemed to make her glow even more than normal, if that was even possible. It amazed him how he could miss her when he saw her every day, but life was too much for them at the moment. A day without other worries getting in the way and to spend time relaxing with his girlfriend rather than homework, prefect duties, Quidditch, and his other training was a day to treasure.

"Me too," Hermione smiled up at him again one hand resting against her neck.

The smile she gave him reminded him of how she looked just after their last late night snog. Enough so that he was briefly tempted to pull her aside as soon as they reached Hogsmeade, but he was quite aware that Hermione was still just a touch uncomfortable about his rampant public displays of affection. A huge grin threatened to totally engulf Ron's face as he remembered their last "public" moment the night before.

They had been on the last leg of a rather boring night of prefect patrols and had just finished telling off a bunch of Hufflepuff third years who had been sneaking up to the Astronomy tower. In all honesty, Ron had been a bit impressed with the fact that the Hufflepuffs had been willing to try such a little adventure and had been able to convince Hermione out of giving them more than a stern talking to. As soon as the Hufflepuffs were out of earshot, Ron had broken out into laughter.

"_Just what are you laughing at Ronald?" Hermione had questioned in a disapproving tone of voice as she continued up the Astronomy tower stairs._

"_Those three Hufflepuff boys, I think the sorting hat made a mistake with them. If they have the guts to take girls up to the Astronomy tower in their third year I think they should be in Gryffindor," he responded with a chuckle._

"_Honestly, breaking the rules isn't funny and you shouldn't encourage them," Hermione huffed._

"_If you recall, I didn't encourage them, I just didn't want to see them punished for something everyone at this school has done or wants to do," Ron replied with an evil little grin at her back._

"_Not everyone wants to break the rules," Hermione replied ignoring him._

_Ron caught up to her on the step above where she paused to pull open the door to the tower. He bent down close behind her and whispered, "Are you sure you wouldn't have wanted me to take you to the Astronomy tower in our third year?"_

_Hermione shuddered against him and walked into the light of the Astronomy tower. Ron could make out the blush that graced her cheeks at his boldness. Even though, she replied saucily, "I think you were too angry at me about Scabbers to want to do that sort of thing."_

"_Don't be too sure of that Hermione, even when I was really mad I still thought you were the most wonderful thing I had ever seen," Ron answered beginning to think the Hufflepuff's had had the right idea._

"_Oh please, you were too wrapped up in Quidditch and the entire Sirius episode to give me any thought at all," Hermione replied walking away to look over the tower._

_Ron stalked her, his senses focused on his prey. She stopped beside one of the telescopes giving him the perfect opportunity to come up behind her and run his hands up her arms. It had been weeks since they had been alone together. Hermione leaned back against him as he moved her hair out of the way and bent his head down to gently nibble at the base of her neck just over the pulse point and whisper to her, "Well that was just when we were all talking. At night though when I was alone I spent a great deal of time thinking about you, all of you I might add." _

_Ron wrapped his arms around her small frame and rested his chin on top her head enjoying the scent of her, Hermione wrapped her arms over his own and whispered "You...you umm thought about me a lot at night?"_

"_I still do," he replied, his voice sounding deeper than it had moments before. As if to underscore his last remark he lowered his head, nuzzling her hair aside and took her earlobe between his lips and tugged on it gently. He could feel Hermione's reactions through the necklace and didn't bother hiding his own feelings from her._

_When he had tugged on Hermione's ear she had gasped out loud and pulled away enough to turn and wrap her arms around his neck. Ron had taken this as a sign that Hermione was thinking the same thing he was and might be willing to break the rules enough to spend a little quality time alone with him. Ron, ever happy to accommodate her, never sensed the approach of Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall until the door opened. Ron dropped his arms, certain that they hadn't seen anything when he realized that Hermione still had her arms wrapped around his neck._

"_I trust you have had an, umm… productive patrol Mr. Weasley?" asked Dumbledore his eyes sparkling. Hermione dropped her arms and stepped away from him her face bright red._

"_Yes Professor, you wouldn't imagine the number of students who try and sneak up here for a quick snog," Ron replied grinning. _

_Hermione had turned to him with a look of absolute disbelief etched on her face. He could feel Hermione's embarrassment and anger and knew that he was in for it after the professor's were out of ear shot._

_Even Professor McGonagall had to choke back a chuckle at the look Hermione gave Ron. At least Professor McGonagall could take a joke._

"_Well, now that you are here Professors, I guess Hermione and I should go back to our dorms for the night. Good night Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall." Ron wanted to make a hasty retreat before anyone thought too much about what had happened._

_Not waiting for the professors to respond, Ron took Hermione by the elbow and steered her out of the Tower and towards their common room. He had about two minutes of silence before she erupted at him. She read him the riot act the entire way back, but it had been worth it just to see the look on her face._

The hustle and bustle of Hogsmeade woke Ron from his memories as Harry and Ginny stopped before them.

"So where do you want to start love?" Ron asked Hermione with a smile.

Hermione paused a moment as if struggling with something and finally answered, "We could go to Honeydukes first."

Ron felt a surge of affection for her at that moment. Harry and Ginny's jaws dropped open surprised at their studious friends choice. To Ron, it was obvious she wanted to go somewhere that she knew he wouldn't enjoy, so she had decided to wait. That of course made giving in to what she really wanted easier.

"Why don't we go to Flourish and Blott's first and then we can go by Honeydukes. A very beautiful witch told me that there will be a new shipment of books set out on the shelves today."

Ginny and Harry's look of shock changed to looks of disgust, making gagging motions at the way Ron and Hermione were behaving.

Hermione to her credit ignored their looks and focused totally on Ron, "Have I told you how wonderful you are lately?"

Ron put his hands on his hips and frowned in concentration, "No you haven't. As a matter of fact, I have been sorely mistreated and ignored these past few days," he said placing one hand over his heart in mock sincerity.

The small grin and knowing look that Hermione turned on him made him think she hadn't forgotten about the night before in the Astronomy tower. That look and the impressions he was getting from his necklace caused him to feel quite warm and he was certain that he was blushing up to the tips of his ears.

"It seems I will have to find a way to make sure you are feeling _appreciated_ then," Hermione said slowly, her eyes growing warm and inviting. It may have been just coincidence, but at that moment Hermione licked her lips and Ron thought his heart was going to stop. However, he felt certain that other parts of his body reacted even more strongly.

_If she keeps that up I'm in for a long slow painful afternoon, _Ron thought

Ron's downward thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Ginny's indignation, "Ugggg that's it, come on Harry. I don't think I can stand to be around the two of them for one more second."

Harry laughed at the face she made.

Ron shook himself out of the spell Hermione had caught him with and responded, "Oh look who's talking Ginny! You two are plenty friendly if the rumors are true."

"Yes we are, you great prat, but we aren't so sickeningly lovey dovey as you two," Ginny made a face taking Harry's hand, "It's so sweet you should get Honeydukes to sell it."

Ron smiled at Hermione and draped an arm across her shoulders, "But Ginny, Honeydukes doesn't have anything nearly as sweet as my Hermione and I don't want to share."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "See that's what I'm talking about. Let's go Harry before they declare their undying love for each other and I lose my breakfast!" Ginny pulled Harry along behind her towards Honeydukes.

"Don't forget to meet us at Three Broomsticks for lunch!" Hermione shouted to their retreating backs and Harry waved back in response.

Two hours later Ron was certain that he was paying a harsh penalty for some sort of horrible crime he must have unknowingly committed. That was the only explanation for the horror he had endured in Flourish and Blotts. Soon after they had entered the store Hermione had found a book on Ancient Runes she had been looking for and began to expound on the theories contained inside, which she, being brilliant, found fascinating.

Ron could handle Hermione waxing poetic about five thousand year old squiggly lines; sadly, several Ravenclaws who had been in the store had heard her as well. This led to a two hour discussion which Ron had barely understood on the various methods of translating the Elder Futhark runes. Several times the Ravenclaws had politely tried to include him in the conversation only to find him day dreaming about Hermione in the locker rooms wearing a scandalously short set of Quidditch robes. This had led to a very uncomfortable set of trousers and a seventh year Ravenclaw who kept staring at his discomfort.

Hermione, of course had failed to notice any of it and was expounding to the assembled Ravenclaws on her preferred method of deciphering Runes. Seeing Hermione in her element brought a wide smile to Ron's face. It was a widely regarded rumor in the Ravenclaw common room that the Sorting Hat had been drunk the night it placed Hermione in Gryffindor. As such, Hermione was regarded as something of a long lost Ravenclaw cousin. So much so that when the news of Ron and Hermione's relationship had spread about the school more than one Ravenclaw boy felt like he had lost out on a prize to a "barely awake Quidditch goon".

Hermione had been enjoying herself so much during their impromptu study group that Ron had been hesitant to interrupt them. Now, however, he felt as if he heard one more "I find it prudent to.." statement that he would stuff a Quaffle down the throat of the offender. It was hard enough for Ron to stand still even when he was doing something he greatly enjoyed, it was all but impossible for him to do so when bored out of his mind. Just as he thought he was going to have to scream, he heard Hermione gasp.

"Ron, how long have I been standing here talking?" she demanded turning towards him.

"What year is it?" he asked jokingly.

Hermione frowned and he thought for a moment he was going to get a lecture on being polite when Hermione surprised him again.

"I'm so sorry Ron. I know you don't have any interest in Ancient Runes at all and yet here I've been going on and on," she apologized.

Any irritation Ron might have felt evaporated in an instant.

"Don't worry love, we still have plenty of time," Ron smiled innocently remembering her implications from earlier.

The blush that crept across Hermione's face was worth all the time he had spent in this hell hole of a bookstore. She had not forgotten her promises either.

Ron looked over at the Ravenclaws and clarified, "Before we have to go to the Three Broomsticks." He couldn't help the slow wink he sent in Hermione's direction.

Hermione looked down at the stack of books she had acquired in the short time she had been looking before the Ravenclaws had descended on her.

"I don't want to take all these into The Three Broomsticks, maybe we should drop them off at the cottage just to be sure," she fretted with a distinct glimmer in her eye.

Ron could only stare at Hermione in amazement as she licked her lips. The look on her face was priceless. Ron paused only a moment before realizing,

_I think she's daring me to kiss her right here._

Never one to ignore a dare, Ron approached her and reached out a hand to push her hair away from her face. He wound the fingers of the other hand through her thick curls at the base of her neck. He watched her face grow pink from the blush that was rapidly forming as Ron lowered his head and trapped her bottom lip with his mouth. The pile of books still clutched in her hands between them. Ron took just a moment to sweep his tongue across the soft, plump flesh and then pulled back to look Hermione in the eyes.

"Now would be a good time to say good bye to your friends wouldn't it love?" Ron murmured his voice rough as he nodded towards the Ravenclaws that had seen the whole thing.

To his amazement Hermione just nodded quickly and turned to the Ravenclaws standing nearby.

"Well it's been lovely but it seems I need to go. Enjoy the rest of your day," she smiled towards the Ravenclaws.

As soon as she got the words out, she handed Ron her amazingly large stack of books, quickly paid for her purchases, and pulled him out of the store.

A/N I just wanted to say I'm sorry it has taken so long to update. I should be able to update at least once or twice a week from now on. This is due in large part to bellana30 who has stepped in as a beta and is doing a wonderful job. I cannot overstate the help she has been.


	66. Valevtines day part 2

Valentines day part 2

Many a curious shopper turned and stared bemusedly at the scene unfolding in front of them. The sight of two Hogwarts students wouldn't normally draw so much as a second glance from the denizens of Hogsmeade, this time, however, these two particular students seemed to be drawing many a curious stare or indulgent smile. As they made their way through the crowd, Ron tried to temper their passage with a few well placed "pardon us" or "excuse us please." Hermione, on the other hand, seemed to have cast her normal concern for etiquette out the window as she pulled Ron along behind her. The task of balancing Hermione's load of books in one arm and keeping Hermione from pulling his other arm out of socket was taking all of Ron's concentration when they arrived in front of the cottage.

Hermione paused for a moment on the small porch of the cottage and ran her fingers along the polished wood plaque that proclaimed the name of the cottage 'Padfoot's Place' and looked over her shoulder at Ron a question in her eyes.

"It just seemed right, and we do owe Sirius," Ron stated in response to Hermione's questioning look.

The warmth of the smile Hermione gave him made his knees weak and he took a deep breath as Hermione took her key out of the pocket and opened the door.

"Lolly, are you about?" Hermione called out as they entered.

"Today is Lolly's day off, love," Ron answered setting Hermione's books down on the table inside the door.

"Is it really?" she said turning and smiling at him.

The smile she gave him reminded him just a bit of the way she smiled when Professor Snape asked a question he was certain that no one knew the answer to and she answered it as soon as he words were out of his mouth. She was very proud of something and she was never one to keep her triumphs hidden. So, it was with only a bit of surprise that Ron felt Hermione fling herself at him as soon as he had set the stack of books down. This was one of Hermione's favorite things to do when they were alone, she seemed to love nuzzling his chest with her face and in all honesty he enjoyed it a great deal as well.

What did surprise him was the way her hands wrapped around his waist and then moved down to grab his bum. Ron's could sense her growing excitement as he pulled his face from her hair and looked down at her. She looked up at him with a wicked grin on her face.

"I have been wanting to do that for a long time," She admitted her grin widening and just the faintest touch of pink to her cheeks.

"Why Miss Granger, are you trying to tell me that you have lustful thoughts about a fellow student?" Ron asked in mock surprise

"No Mr. Weasley, I am trying to show you," With that she pulled hard and pressed herself against him.

To say Ron was a bit taken aback at Hermione's forwardness was an understatement, but all of his thoughts washed away when she ran her hands through his hair and pulled his head down to hers.

As soon as their lips met, Hermione ran her tongue slowly along Ron's lips. The sensation caused Ron to inhale and Hermione took advantage of his open mouth to sweep her tongue inside. Hermione's boldness seemed to have inflamed his senses and he leaned into her reveling in the feel of her body against his.

Ron found his sense's assaulted by a flood of sensation that threatened to overwhelm him. The faint scent of Hermione's shampoo mixed with the sharp clean scent of her skin and then beyond that was a deeper, musky scent. This was the scent of his mate, the smell of his woman and it threatened to drive him mad. His muscles tensed as he restrained his desire to let his animal instincts run wild.

Ron couldn't decide which was more arousing, the feel of her hair cascading over his fingers or the little sounds she made deep in her throat as their tongues slid over each other. What he needed no help in deciding was the effect she was having on him. Ron noticed with growing trepidation that his trousers were growing increasingly uncomfortable, so much so that Hermione was certain to notice if he didn't do something fast. Ron had gone to great pains to keep this particular effect of Hermione's hidden. There were plenty of stories told at Hogwarts of blokes that pressured girls into doing things they weren't ready for and Ron would do everything he could to keep Hermione from feeling that way. He didn't need his instincts taking over completely and scaring her.

Ron broke away from Hermione and took a step back. Hermione moved forward eager to maintain the contact between them. With a shudder and a low growl, Ron raised his hands and placed them on her shoulders.

"Wait a second love," Ron spoke a little hoarse.

Confusion was evident on Hermione's face " Wha..what is it Ron? Did I do something wrong?" she frowned and bit her lip. Her tousled appearance made him want to pull her back to him and continue what they had begun.

A low rueful chuckle escaped Ron's mouth "On the contrary love you were doing things too well. I just need a moment to ummm calm down."

Hermione still looked confused for one moment and then a smile split her face, along with a deep blush which added even more color to her already flushed face.

"Ohhhh I see," she teased. She took his hand and led him over to the coach, never taking her eyes off of his face. She sat down and pulled him down beside her.

Her face grew serious, it was almost comic with her curls mussed from his hands not moments before. "I love the way you try so hard not to do something that would make me feel uncomfortable, but Ron I'm not totally innocent. I know what effect that our snogging has on you and honestly I like that I have that effect. Now, I don't expect us to be shagging each other senseless anytime soon but you can snog me until I'm cross eyed and I won't complain."

The incongruity of Hermione serious expression, her tousled hair, and the subject matter at hand caused Ron to laugh out loud.

"So you think I'm funny ehh Weasley?" Hermione asked pushing Ron's shoulder.

When Ron nodded through his laughter, Hermione reached out and started to tickle him lightly on the ribcage. Ron couldn't let this go unchallenged and soon the cottage echoed with shrieks and laughter. Soon however Hermione had managed to maneuver herself on top of Ron and the laughing stopped. Blue eyes met brown and Ron felt like he was hit with a lightning bolt. The necklaces and his lion's instincts only making the effects of her closeness even more pronounced for the both of them. He saw his desire mirrored in Hermione's face. He slowly ran his hands up her sides and wound them into her curls easing her face slowly towards his own. Hermione watched him and met his lips with her own. The last coherent thought Ron was capable of was, "I wonder if she really could snog me cross eyed?"

Later, Hermione had worked her way down his neck and had been kissing the base of his neck when suddenly she sat up and looked at Ron, "Weren't we going to meet some people at Three Broomsticks?"

Ron's eyes went wide and he swung his head around looking for the clock.

"Shite, we're late," he cursed. They both jumped to their feet looking for their cloaks and straightening their clothes.

Hermione stood in front of a mirror trying to tame her wild curls while Ron paced impatiently behind her, "Don't worry Ron it's only a few minutes."

Ron swung around sharply to look at her, "Yeah a few minutes, with the Slytherins."

Hermione turned white and took her cloak from him as they ran out the door towards Three Broomsticks as fast as they could.

Ron jerked open the door of the pub and rushed inside to see Daphne and Blaise Zambini facing off against the Gryffindor sixth years along with Luna, Ginny, and Susan Bones. Both groups looked incredibly uncomfortable.

"So, sorry I'm late," Ron said as he approached them.

All of the students turned to look at him and he could tell right away that Daphne was furious with him and everyone else seemed almost relieved to see him.

"Daphne, Blaise, glad you could make it," Ron said offering his hand to Blaise but looking down at the blond girl with a smile hoping she would stop staring daggers at him.

Blaise shook his hand and looked him over carefully. Blaise stood only an inch or two shorter than Ron, his dark hair and fashionable clothes were immaculate. Ron fought his embarrassment at his own shabby attire and rumpled appearance. Blaise played Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch team Ron remembered, but that was about all he new about the boy that shook his hand. He watched as Blaise looked him over and an odd smirk crossed his face. Ron noticed a couple sniggers coming from Harry and Ginny. Even Daphne looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"Anybody need a drink?" he asked trying to maintain a cheerful tone.

"No thanks, we were just leaving." Daphne said coldly nodding towards Blaise.

Deciding that honesty was the best policy Ron turned to look her in the eye, "Wait. I'm sorry I wasn't here. I got distracted and lost track of time. Please sit down," Ron motioned to the four empty chairs at the table. "Let's all have something to drink."

Daphne opened her mouth to respond when Hermione burst through the door with a shriek and the entire room went silent. Hermione's hair was wild and her face red from running. Her clothes were rumpled and untucked in places. She looked as un-Hermione like as he had ever seen her and Ron knew he was in for it.

"Just because you have such ruddy long legs doesn't mean you can jut leave me behind Ronald Billius Weasley," Hermione growled walking over to the table. Her eyes blazed at him.

Ron swallowed hard and prepared himself to face a very angry Hermione. He had been in such a hurry to get here that he had left Hermione behind and he knew she wouldn't let him off easily.

"Sorry love, I just didn't want things to get…ummmm interesting without me," Ron said motioning towards Daphne and Blaise. He ran a quick hand through the red mop and the sniggers grew louder behind him. He could feel his ears beginning to burn.

Hermione face softened as she noticed the sniggers and smiles of the group around her and the additions. She touched her own wild hair, her cheeks reddening. Her anger disappeared as quickly as it had begun. Hermione reached Ron's side and looked at Daphne and Blaise, noting they were wearing their cloaks, "Were you leaving?" she asked with a frown.

Ron turned back towards the two Slytherins and noticed the amused expressions on their faces, "I think we can stay for a little while," Blaise answered pulling a chair out for Daphne.

Daphne looked at Ron who was glad to see that she was wearing a good-natured smirk on her face. "So Weasley, would Granger happen to be what distracted you?"

The tips of Ron's ears and Hermione's cheeks burned a furious red as laughter spilled out from both groups of students.

"That would explain why Hermione looks like she's been through a windstorm," Seamus added. Hermione sat next to Harry who patted her sympathetically on her shoulder.

"More like a hot air storm if my brother was involved," Ginny added from her seat between Harry and Luna.

Grinning from ear to ear Daphne reached out and pulled down the collar of Ron's school robes exposing a dark red mark on his neck. "It would also explain why Ron looks as if he was lunch for a very hungry vampire."

Even Hermione gasped when Ron's neck was exposed and her handiwork came to light. It looked as if he had been hit with a Bludger the size of Hermione's lips.

"Hermione did that?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

Ginny stood and walked over to get a good look at the enormous love bite. "Merlin Hermione, you don't half do anything do you?"

Hermione stood quickly to inspect his neck. She looked at Ron, embarrassed at the three girls inspecting him rather closely. She took his hand and looked at Daphne as bold as any Gryffindor could be, "I know what's mine."

Daphne roared with laughter along with the rest of the group "You know Granger, I might have misjudged you. That statement was worthy of a Slytherin."

Hermione smiled and looked at Ron for a second before resuming her seat. This time she sat next to Daphne leaving the empty seat between Harry and herself. "It's a good thing for Malfoy that I'm not in Slytherin."

Ron cleared his throat, "Now that everything has calmed down let's all have something to drink." Ron smiled motioning towards the bar to bring a round. He pulled the collar of his shirt up to cover his love bite. Harry gave him a quick thumbs up before returning his attention to Ginny.

When the butterbeers for the group arrived Ron paid for the round and saw the astonished faces of his friends. "Oh, I had a job this summer," he mumbled uncomfortable. Hermione squeezed his knee under the table and changed the subject to Quidditch asking Blaise and Daphne if they played for the Slytherin team.

Everyone seemed excited to discuss their favorite sport and each Houses' chances for the Quidditch Cup.

"We all know that the real contest is between Slytherin and Gryffindor," Blaise Zabini began. "No offense Susan, but Hufflepuff's team this year is a joke and Ravenclaw's seeker is the only decent player they have."

Susan frowned from her seat next to Blaise, but said nothing. Blaise shrugged his shoulders at her as if to say, sorry but it's the truth.

"Yeah Hufflepuff is weaker than usual this year," Harry said grimacing towards Susan who shrugged a second time, "But Ravenclaw has a couple of Chasers that might turn out to be pretty good," he added for Luna's benefit.

"They might be good next year, but they have a steep learning curve ahead of them," Blaise countered.

Daphne broke in, "The whole Quidditch cup is going to come down to if our Beaters can neutralize your Chasers and Seeker. Beater is the only position where Slytherin can match Gryffindor."

"Better not let Malfoy hear you say that," Susan Bones laughed.

"Bugger Malfoy," Blaise snarled, "Some of us are tired of people giving us shite because he's a great prat to everyone."

Lavender nodded from her seat between Dean and Seamus, "I wouldn't want to have to share a common room with him that's for sure, he gives me the creeps."

"You don't know the half of it," Daphne shuddered.

The crowd at the tables got quiet for a moment and Ron cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"There's going to be a party in the Room of Requirements tonight after the dance. I was just thinking it would be great if you guys could come," he said looking at the Slytherins.

Daphne and Blaise looked at each other for a moment and Blaise nodded and Ron could have sworn that Blaise had been looking at Daphne out of the corner of his eyes.

"We'll see you there then Ron," Daphne said with a smile.

"Glad to hear it Daphne," Ron added placing his arm around Hermione. He was actually looking forward to the dance later that night. Daphne and Hermione began discussing something about one of the potions they had recently worked on in Snape's class and Ron was glad for the moment to listen to the talk going around him. Harry and Ginny sat together talking to Luna and Neville about some rare magical creature Luna and her father had been researching. Seamus, Dean, Lavender and Parvati were engrossed in gossip about whom was taking whom to the dance that night. Even, Susan and Blaise were deep in conversation about Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Ron enjoyed the quiet moment, relaxed and content for the first time in months until a familiar presence made him sit up in time for, "What are you two doing here?" Malfoy's voice sneered behind them.

The group turned as one to see Malfoy standing there flanked by his usual band of malcontents. Daphne and Blaise stood up as soon as they heard Malfoy's voice.

Ron and Harry remained seated, their wands in their hands. "Let Daphne and Blaise handle this," Hermione whispered to Ron feeling his anger starting to climb.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Daphne asked, her voice snapping like a whip in the now quiet pub. She stood erect, but at least half a head shorter than Malfoy. Blaise beside her looked almost casual staring down Crabbe and Goyle as if he was completely unconcerned and unimpressed by their presence. Crabbe and Goyle for their part were cracking their knuckles and staring back menacingly at Blaise.

"I want to know why two Slytherins would lower themselves to consort with Mudbloods and Blood Traitors?" Malfoy sneered.

"Yes, what ARE you doing here with THESE people?" Pansy added standing at Draco's side.

Ron noted with a chuckle that Blaise rolled his eyes at the sound of Pansy's high-pithced voice and crossed his arms impatiently.

"Give it a rest, not everybody buys into that outdated rubbish," Daphne sighed.

Malfoy dropped his voice lower and stepped towards Daphne pointing his wand at her, "You had best be careful, Greengrass, or you'll end up just like Diggory."

Before anyone had a chance to react, Susan gave a strangled cry and lunged out of her seat, her wand drawn. Only Blaise's quick reflexes caught her before she could hex the Slytherins. Susan struggled against Blaise's grip for a moment until he leaned down and whispered something into her ear. At his words, Susan ceased struggling and looked up at the dark haired boy a question in her face before resuming her seat. Her wand left out on the table for all to see. Ron met Harry's eyes for a moment, both boys ready to jump in. Ron had to admit that he admired the Hufflepuff's spirit.

"You know Malfoy, I would think that you would be a bit more circumspect considering that you are running out of friends," Blaise drawled turning back from Susan to glare at Malfoy. The air crackled with tension at Blaise's words.

"At least my friends know the importance of blood and family," Malfoy shot back his sneer returning.

Ron could tell that Malfoy was working his courage up to pull his wand and he knew that Crabbe, Goyle and Parkinson would follow suit. Not sure how the rest of his friends would respond, Ron stood up and moved over to stand just behind Daphne. Two against four were not good odds in his book.

Blaise ignored him, but Daphne looked a bit surprised and opened her mouth to say something when Katie Bell walked through the door.

"It's time for everybody to head back to the castle," She announced before noticing the tension in the room, "Is there a problem here?" she asked Ron approaching them all with a frown.

The pub was quiet for just a moment before Malfoy responded, "Not at all, I was just letting my housemates know I was concerned for them," Malfoy sneered at the Head Girl before taking Pansy by the arm and leaving. Crabbe, Goyle, and several other Slytherins seated in the room hurried out behind him.

A/N Justa little note to thank belanna30 for all of her help again. You guys can't imagine how much help she has really been.


	67. Valentines day part 3

Valentine's Day part 3

The sight of a crowd of Gryffindors walking back to the castle surrounding a couple of Slytherins would normally have indicated that a brawl was about to begin. In fact, Professor McGonagall was preparing for the worst when she heard the sound of laughter coming from the group. As they passed her, several of the Gryffindors turned and waved at their Head of House before turning back to the conversations going on. Professor McGonagall couldn't help but return the gesture, pleased to see the group and equally pleased to note that at least one member of each house was present. Perhaps there was hope yet.

At the center of the group she could see Ron Weasley and Daphne Greengrass bantering back and forth about who was better at Defense Against the Dark Arts while Blaise Zabini, Harry Potter and Susan Bones debated the chances of their favorite teams winning the League Championship. McGonagall couldn't help her astonishment not expecting Ron and Harry to lead the charge to befriend Slytherins, but she also knew enough about the two rambunctious youths not to underestimate their capabilities. McGonagall caught sight of Professor Snape hurrying towards the group, a dark scowl etched across his face. Trouble could come from many directions, Minerva thought, as she followed the Professor towards the students. Too many students nearby were avidly watching the group of sixth years and a fight between them would only incense the House separation more.

"Is there a problem here Greengrass?" Snape's cold voice startled the group into silence.

They stopped as one and turned to face the scowling Professor. The Gryffindors all returned the Professor's scowl, only Daphne, Blaise, and unsurprisingly Luna seemed undisturbed by his presence.

"No, Professor everything is fine," Daphne replied with a puzzled look on her face.

Snape frowned at her gesturing towards Ron and Harry, "So these Gryffindors aren't harassing you?" he asked barely disguising his disgust.

"No Professor, we were just discussing our class work," Daphne replied evenly, all traces of her good humor vanished.

"Isn't it nice to see the members of our Houses getting along Severus?" Professor McGonagall spoke up approaching the group. She watched the Gryffindors visibly relax at her presence.

Professor Snape turned his scowl towards Professor McGonagall, "Of course Minerva. However, I would prefer not to see any of my students get caught up in the _adventures _of your Gryffindors. They are a little too _spirited _for Slytherin House after all."

Profess McGonagall let the insinuation pass without comment and turned to the students who were watching the exchange with a great deal of interest, "It is almost dinner, I believe it is time for _all_ of you to get inside."

The group nodded their agreement and entered the castle in silence. Once they stood inside the Great Hall, Ron turned to Daphne and Blaise, "Do you want a couple of us to go to the dungeons with you in case Malfoy tries something?"

Daphne and Blaise exchanged a look of surprise before bursting out laughing. Harry and Ron shrugged at each other baffled at their response.

"Malfoy knows better than to bother us," Blaise smirked looking at Daphne as if they were sharing a private joke. "The only reason he still bothers you Gryffindors is because you're too bloody noble to really put him in his place."

Daphne nodded in agreement, "We Slytherins, on the other hand, know how to take care of our problems."

Ron and Harry chuckled at the evil grins on Daphne and Blaise's faces. While Blaise was large enough that he could hold his own, the thought of the petite blond Daphne Greengrass scaring Malfoy was quite impressive.

The entire group laughed when Neville shook his head, "Merlin, I'm glad I'm not in Slytherin. You people are vicious."

Seamus threw his arm around Neville's shoulders, "You're right where you belong mate, and the rest of us wouldn't have it any other way."

All the other Gryffindors voiced their agreement, while both Blaise and Neville looked a bit dubious.

Daphne touched Ron's shoulder to get his attention, "Ok we're going to go by our common room before dinner, so we'll see you there then?"

Before Ron could answer, Hermione stepped up next to Ron, entwined her arm around his, and laid her head on his shoulder watching the blond Slytherin.

Ron smiled down at his girlfriend, glad of the unusual affectionate display before replying, "Ok Daphne, we'll see you there."

Daphne nodded to Ron and looked at Hermione with a slight sarcastic smile, "Holding on a bit tight there Granger?"

Hermione just smiled back and looked up at Ron, "You've got to be hungry love after the afternoon you've had. Let's go eat ok?"

Ron smiled at Hermione oblivious to the tension between the two girls, "A woman after my own heart you are." He took Hermione's hand and walked towards the Great Hall and Hermione only took a moment to smile back at Daphne where she stood next to Blaise.

While the Gryffindors cheered on their mate, Blaise caught himself watching the blond Hufflepuff where she stood between Neville and Luna. Bones looked over and studied him in kind for a moment before turning back to her friends. She had startled him, going after Malfoy in Three Broomsticks. He had expected Weasley or Potter to do something rash, not Bones. He had been able to convince her to ignore Malfoy, but in retrospect he found it odd that she had listened to him. Blaise corrected himself, Bones' showed too much trust in a stranger by listening to him. A Slytherin would have ignored him and gone for Malfoy's throat and then his own, resentful of the interference.

Besides, Blaise paused in his thinking, why did he bother enough to stop her? He did not need the Hufflepuff interfering where he and Daphne had the situation well in hand. That was the answer he would accept for now. However, Blaise still considered that he may have underestimated the spineless Hufflepuffs. He had met one today with a little backbone.

Blaise watched Daphne speak to Ron and Hermione and noticed the looks between the two girls. He didn't know if Daphne had designs on the tall red head, or if she just enjoyed annoying the perfect Hermione Granger. Blaise suspected that it was a little of both.

"Let's go," Daphne spoke nodding towards the dungeons. Blaise cast one last look at the Hufflepuff before following her. Daphne, unfortunately, noticed the direction of his gaze and the same evil smile crossed her features. Blaise frowned at that, the last thing he needed was Daphne considering that he felt anything towards a Hufflepuff other than total disregard.

Daphne walked beside him lost in her own thoughts. Blaise still wondered at her motivations for befriending Ron Weasley. While he agreed that they would need allies in what they both knew was coming, he still wondered why she had chosen that particular group. Blaise also had to admit that Daphne had been correct, those Gryffindors may not be the annoying, self-important, hotheads Blaise had always considered them to be.

"I was right," Daphne murmured to Blaise, "We will need them. You know the saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"I dislike involving people outside our own House," Blaise countered, this argument common to them both.

"You know as well as I do that Malfoy is pushing too far. Give it enough time. I want to be ready," Daphne replied. "Besides, Granger always was a little too perfect for my taste. Taking her down a couple of rungs would be good for her."

Blaise said nothing to this. What did he care if Daphne wanted to have fun at the know-it-alls expense? He and Daphne were only friends. She had proven herself loyal over the years and for his part he would be in no one's debt. They had studied together in order to excel in their classes. They watched out for each other and for, the most part, they shared the same views on the rules to which one should lead their life. It was not, and never would be, a romantic relationship. Their friendship was an alliance of survival and, with time, respect. She was one of the few people Blaise would consider worthy of his trust.

"Susan Bones," Daphne spoke aloud interrupting his thoughts. "I'm surprised a Hufflepuff would stand up to Malfoy like that. She has some spirit."

"She shouldn't have interfered," Blaise replied further annoyed at himself that he had looked back at the girl.

"I'm surprised you stopped her. After Malfoy's comment about Diggory, she had a right to defend her friend's memory," Daphne pressed.

"It wasn't the right time. She would have been punished and Malfoy would have walked away," Blaise responded knowing that Daphne realized the same thing he did.

Daphne nodded and changed her tack, the evil grin returning, "Her Aunt is in line to be Minister of Magic, her family is well off in its own right, and doesn't she play Quidditch for the house team? What position did she play again?"

"Chaser," Blaise answered shortly growing tired of her insinuations.

"Chaser," Daphne replied again with the same smile. She dropped the subject as they entered the common room. While she felt no fear of torturing him in private, Daphne was loyal enough that she would never give away any information that could be used against him.

As Daphne and Blaise walked away, everyone followed Ron and Hermione into the Great Hall. Ron could hear Seamus' voice over the din of the crowd, "I've said it before, and I'll say it again, that Greengrass has a magnificent arse."

This caused a good bit of laughter and nodding heads from the males and groans from the females along with a resounding slap to the back of Seamus' head from Lavender.

"Oy, what was that for? It's not like I grabbed it or anything," Seamus exclaimed looking over at his girlfriend.

SMACK! Lavender smacked Seamus across the face, her face red with anger.

This caused the rest of the male Gryffindors to start howling with laughter. The girls all frowned at the confused boy. For Ron though, between Lavender's indignant expression and Seamus's confused look it took a very long time before he was able to catch his breath.

"Can we eat before Seamus gets himself killed?" he managed to spit out trying to save Seamus from the hole he had just placed himself in.

Dean seized on this to try help out his mate, "Yeah we need to eat so we can get ready for the party, unless you girls are going to wear your school robes."

Lavender gasped and instantly forgot about being mad at Seamus. She grabbed Parvati and Ginny and drug them to the table to immediately begin discussing what they were going to wear.

Seamus meanwhile put one arm around Ron's shoulders and one around Dean's "Thanks for that mates, I thought I was done for there."

Luna and Susan waved good-bye to Neville and Harry and returned to their own table, "I thought you were done there as well," Neville agreed sitting across from the three boys.

Harry nodded sitting next to him, "Mate, talking about another girl's arse with your girl friend standing RIGHT NEXT to you is not smart. You're lucky to be breathing."

Ron walked around Seamus to sit down, pulling Hermione along with him, "I'm going to be a bit late to the common room after dinner, love. I have to take care of something, do you mind?"

He smiled, relieved, when Hermione shook her head.

"I'd love to be able to tell you about it but it's for my _special project."_

Hermione frowned at that, "Ok Ron, but soon we are going to have to talk about all of these special projects."

Ron nodded, not relishing the thought of telling Hermione what he was about to do. He followed Hermione into the Great Hall for dinner where they joined their housemates who were already engaged in a lively discussion about who was the best dueler.

The sun had totally set as Ron made his way out to the Quidditch pitch. He turned his head from side to side looking to see if any of his fellow students happened to be moving about. Fortunately for Ron, it seemed the cold weather had kept everyone inside getting ready for the party. Even the warming charm he had used couldn't keep the winter chill out as he pulled his cloak tighter about him.

He approached the north end of the Quidditch pitch, looking for the person he was to meet. It didn't take long to see the long black cloak and mask that proclaimed to the world that the wearer was a follower of Lord Voldemort. The minute he moved within one hundred feet of the Death Eater, a silver circle glowed briefly on the ground. Ron took out his wand and spoke the words that would finish the Circle of Peace.

"Merry meet," he said firmly.

"And Merry part" the Death Eater responded.

"And Merry meet again," Ron finished.

Reaching into his robes he pulled out a loaf of bread wrapped in a napkin, two metal goblets and a flask of pumpkin juice. The warmth of the Circle of Peace made his cloak unneeded as he spread it upon the ground and sat on one end. The Death Eater approached and knelt on the other end watching as Ron tore the bread in half and poured the pumpkin juice into the goblets. Handing one of the pieces of bread and a goblet of pumpkin juice to the Death Eater, he carefully spoke the ancient words of greeting."

"I, Ronald of the House of Weasley, do hereby enter into this Parley most willingly with the Lady Bellatrix of the noble house of Black."

The figure removed its mask and pulled back the hood of the cloak to reveal a striking woman in her early forties. Long dark hair, almost dark enough to be another cloak, whipped in the wind and deep green eyes regarded him most interestingly.

"I, Bellatrix of the House of Black do enter into this Parley most willingly and I thank thee Ronald for thy courtesy."

Ron took a deep breath as soon as the ritual niceties were out of the way, "Why are you here?" he snarled.

"I have come to repay my debt to you." Bellatrix replied softly not affected by his anger.

"You don't owe me anything," Ron answered unable to keep the confusion out of his voice, "If anything you owe Harry for murdering Sirius."

Bellatrix looked at him for a long moment, "I did not kill Sirius."

"You bloody well did, you hit him with a spell and he fell through the veil," Ron thundered back.

"Listen to your own words Ronald. I hit him with the Stupefy curse and he _fell_ through the veil. His death was an accident, though he was a fool to try and face me." Bellatrix replied as if speaking to a small child.

"Are you trying to convince me that you aren't responsible?" Ron snarled.

"I am responsible for a great many things, Sirius's death is not one of them," Bellatrix replied with a dismissive wave of her hand, "This may be hard for you to believe, but when I was young I was very fond of Sirius. Though we chose different paths, he was family and family is everything."

"What about the Longbottoms? That was a nice piece of work, torturing two helpless people until their minds snapped," Ron shot back at her unwilling to give up his anger.

It seemed, if it were possible, that Bellatrix turned even paler "I was not of sound mind when I broke the Longbottoms."

"Are you trying to say you regret it?" Ron sneered.

"I regret nothing I have done for my Master. I would have used a different method, however, had I not been mad," she replied her voice ringing with pride.

"What's this, a Death Eater who doesn't want to hurt people?" Ron snarled sarcasticly.

For the first time since they had started talking Bellatrix seemed to grow angry. "There is that Gryffindor arrogance. You would do well to keep that under control. People become Death Eaters for many reasons and do not pretend that you in your inexperience can comprehend them all."

"I would rather be an arrogant Gryffindor than a slave to Voldemort," Ron spat back at her.

Bellatrix gathered herself and the very air about her seemed to crackle with barely restrained magic. "You have so much power and so little knowledge Ronald Weasley. My Master is the only one who has ever shown me honor. My parents promised me in marriage to my future husband when I was eight. In school I was considered his property and subject to his every whim. The Dark Lord saw my power where my fool of a husband did not. Now, I am my Lord's most trusted servant and he honors me above all others."

"Why are you here?" Ron asked through gritted teeth.

"You killed my husband and I have come to repay the debt I owe you for removing him from my life," she stated simply.

"You want to thank me for killing your husband?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Do you think that my husband was a kind man? Do you think he was a loving husband? My husband was not the sort of man you are becoming. He was cruel and saw no difference between wife and servant. His death was no loss and there was nothing for me to mourn. Now I wish to be rid of the debt I owe you so I have come to warn you," she replied as if disgusted by lowering herself to speak with him.

"Well I consider myself warned, now you can leave," Ron dismissed her.

Bellatrix laughed, "So fiery and full of self righteousness aren't you? This is no joke Weasley, the Dark Lord has a Dark Seer and the Seer has seen the part you may play in the upcoming battles."

"Well good, now he can let me in on it so I don't feel so useless," Ron replied as if it was a joke.

"This is no laughing matter Weasley. The Dark Lord knows you are the Golden Knight and he knows the key to your heart. He is raising up a Dark Knight to set against you. If he gains control of the Cauldron he will have power beyond reckoning," Bellatrix hissed at him.

"What's this nonsense about a Cauldron?" Ron asked considering that she may be telling him the truth.

Bellatrix drew her robes about her as if chilled by a sudden wind, "The Dark Lord seeks an item of great power, a Cauldron of the ancient world. This Cauldron was old when Hogwarts was built and was coveted by many powerful witches throughout the ages. The original owner was a witch named Medea who used it to brew potions of such power that they were able to bring the imbiber back from the brink of death. Later witches used the Cauldron to brew poisons of deadly strength and potions that fortified both the body and mind against attack. When my Lord gains control of the Cauldron we will be unstoppable."

For a moment Ron looked taken aback but he recovered quickly, "I can't imagine Voldemort would be very happy about your telling me all of this."

"My Lord knows I would never betray his confidence. That fool Dumbledore knows of the Cauldron and seeks it as do we. I am telling YOU so you understand the importance of what is happening around you. You say I am a slave, but you are the one who is being kept in the dark."

Ron was unable to keep his cheeks from flushing red but his voice remained steady, "If I haven't been told about something, then there is a good reason for it."

If it were possible Bellatrix seemed sad, "Will you be content forever to remain a pawn on the losing side? Will you always do what's asked of you without complaint? Are you ready to sacrifice EVERYTHING in a foolish quest to support a doomed child and a doddering old man?"

Though Ron had often wondered how long he would be able to let others decide the course of his life, his loyalty to Harry would never waver and he knew it. "I will be with Harry to the end, however it turns out."

To his great surprise Bellatrix nodded, "As I will be with my Master. We are not so different you and I. We have both taken the lives of our enemies and we will both stand with our comrades until the end. I will regret your death Ronald Weasley."

"I will regret all deaths, but I thank you for the honor none the less," Ron replied sincerely, marveling why a death eater would mourn him.

"Malfoy has always underestimated your family. He has only seen the laughter on the outside and not the fire and steel underneath. It is our greatest failing that such a pureblood family stands against us," Bellatrix spoke rising to her feet.

"My family would never support Voldemort, never," Ron rose as well, insulted at her remark.

"Not even to save the Mudblood?" Bellatrix asked slyly.

To her surprise Ron laughed, "Now really Bellatrix, do you take me for a fool? You know, as well as I, that should Voldemort win the Muggle born will be the first to go."

Bellatrix shook her head, "Many of them, yes, but not all. The Dark Lord is quite generous with his loyal followers and would certainly give the Mudblood to you if that was what you truly desired."

"You cannot give one person to another," Ron sputtered.

Bellatrix seemed to be ignoring his last statement "My time runs short and I must go. Remember my words Ronald Weasley, the only way to save the Mudblood is to join us. Then she will be safe no matter who wins. Do not let all that you love be destroyed for a lost cause. Do not lose your family to save an orphan. You shall hear my voice again."

With a flourish Bellatrix reached into her robe and pulled out a small golden ball and disappeared in an instant.

"Must have been a port key." Ron muttered to himself. Putting the cloak back on as the Circle dissipated. "Everyone knows you can't apparate into or out of Hogwarts. Well, everyone who has read 'Hogwarts, a History.'"

Ron walked back to the castle and tightened his cloak against the cold. It had grown even colder since he had first stepped into the Circle of Peace and a light snow had started to fall covering his foot prints. He walked with a purpose, his meeting the Bellatrix ending admittedly better than he had expected.

Professor Dumbledore looked up from the papers littered upon his desk as the door to his office opened. He smiled when Ronald Weasley walked through the door.

"What can I help you with this evening Mr. Weasley?" the Professor asked.

"Well Professor," Ron started taking a seat before Dumbledore's desk, "I just had a very interesting conversation with Bellatrix Black on the Quidditch pitch."

A brief look of concern crossed Professor Dumbledore's face, "I don't suppose there is any point in trying to pursue her, is there?"

Ron shook his head, "As soon as she finished talking to me she took a portkey away from the castle."

"Why did Bellatrix Lestrange want to speak to you? Or were you in the wrong place at the wrong time?" Professor Dumbledore asked leaning back in his chair.

"She's calling herself Bellatrix Black now and she wanted to thank me for killing her husband," Ron answered sheepishly.

"I see," Dumbledore said placing the tips of both index fingers on his lips, "And just how did she _thank _you if I might ask?"

Ron flushed feeling his resentment towards Dumbledore grow, "She told me that the Dark Lord has a Dark Seer who has _seen_ what I might do in the coming war. She also told me that Voldemort is looking for an ancient Cauldron, but you already know about that."

Dumbledore nodded, "I believe that I should introduce you to the Order member who is doing the research on the Cauldron, Mr. Weasley"

"You mean Hermione?" Ron asked the knowledge clicking into place like a chess move. All of the time he had been frustrated with Hermione and even Harry studying in the library suddenly had a purpose.

Dumbledore frowned, "Miss Granger informed you of the task she was working on?"

At that Ron laughed, "No sir. Hermione would never do that. Honestly Professor, who could you get for that job that would be better at it? It explains quite a bit actually."

"Very true Mr. Weasley, perhaps you could bring Miss Granger and Mr. Potter with you tomorrow morning for a visit here in my office? I believe you may be able to assist them," Dumbledore asked with a smile.

"I could go get them now if you want Professor," Ron asked rising to his feet. Patience was never one of his strong suits.

"No thank you Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore chuckled rising to his feet. Ron noticed the ice blue dress robes he wore and almost groaned, "I believe that the three of you have a party to attend at the moment, and you Mr. Weasley are going to be late if you don't hurry."

Daphne enjoyed the looks the young Ravenclaws gave her as they scurried out of her and Blaise's way. It wasn't like she went out of her way to instill fear in the minds of other students but she did find it useful to have them become uneasy whenever a Slytherin walked by. Blaise's usual frown of disdain helped to reinforce that outsiders were not welcome.

Despite the fact that she rarely mixed with members of the other Houses, Daphne knew that the older Slytherins were widely believed to have an extensive knowledge of the Dark Arts. Of course both she and Blaise had heard a great deal about the Dark Arts and she was certain she had seen Dark spells used during visits to friends of her families when she was younger. Despite that, Daphne had never cast any herself and didn't intend to start.

Her family had gathered it's wealth by being careful and prudent with it's choices. History was littered with Dark wizards who rose for a moment, spread fear and terror through out the world, only to end up being defeated by the do-gooders like Weasley and Potter.

That was part of the reason that she and Blaise had become friends. While her family was wealthy and cultivated power and influence, Blaise's family could buy hers five times over. However, they preferred to leave well enough alone, finding most things below their notice. That haughty pride and ambivalence of Blaise's was a good compliment to her drive for power making them easy allies without competing against the other.

Then again, the cultivation of power and influence was a Greengrass tradition and Weasley and Potter were her latest goals.

As if Blaise could sense the turn her thoughts had taken, he turned to her with a smirk "So ready for the Lion's den tonight?"

Daphne caught the double meaning in his question and chose only to respond to the obvious, "How bad can it be? Most of them will be scared of us to begin with."

"True.." he replied with a slight smile noticing the elegant green dress and heels. Daphne had gone out of her way this evening and Blaise knew enough to recognize that it wasn't for him. "Though some of them aren't scared at all. In fact, Weasley doesn't seem to be concerned at all about what either of us might do."

"Well, why should he be? Think about it, neither of us lack power, but how many Death Eaters has he _killed._ We told those Gryffindors they were too noble to take care of their Malfoy problem but you can bet that when it comes down to it Ron will do what it takes."

Blaise turned his head to brush an invisible piece of lint to hide his smile and asked casually, "So you think Weasley is powerful then?"

Daphne missed his teasing tone entirely, "Of course he's powerful. He's a shapeshifter for Merlin's sake. He's a big ginger cat prowling around the castle looking for a new toy to play with."

"Doesn't Granger have a ginger cat as a pet?" Blaise asked not bothering to hide the smirk. Revenge was sweet.

Daphne looked up sharply stopping in the hall, her eyes narrowing, "Yes I believe she does" she said coldly. "Then Granger probably doesn't _express_ how fond she is of it enough."

Blaise couldn't contain his laughter, "Are we still talking about a cat?"

Daphne smiled sweetly and walked away calling over her shoulder, "Let it go Blaise, I have no _Bones_ to pick with you tonight."

Blaise's humor turned to anger as he grabbed her arm. A stupid look. Blaise chafed at the insinuation that he had felt something towards a Hufflepuff. A few Ravenclaws stood nearby and with a glare from Blaise they left, murmuring to themselves. Once the two Slytherins were alone Blaise released her arm, and sneered down at the girl, "Perhaps Daphne you should spend less time trying to be clever and more time trying to find out if we can really expect help from the Gryffindors. I have all ready up held my end with the Slytherin House."

Daphne met Blaise glare for glare for a long moment before nodding. "This bickering will not help our plans."

"You are correct. There will be no more discussion of Weasley and no more insinuations that I think of Bones as anything other than another asset to our plan," Blaise agreed offering Daphne his arm.

Daphne accepted his arm, and they walked in silence for a moment, "Do you think the Gryffindors will agree to back us?" Blaise whispered as the two neared the crowds of students entering the Great Hall.

Daphne nodded, "I think we can, but we truly need to be sure before we commit to a course of action."

"Very well. More research," Blaise agreed leading Daphne into the Hall. Looking over the crowd of students, he noticed a certain blond Hufflepuff across the room with Terry Boot. He frowned at the girl for a moment before leading Daphne to the large group of Slytherins near the far wall. Susan Bones had caused enough trouble for one evening. Unfortunately for Blaise, Daphne had noticed his frown, but as agreed, said nothing.

Hermione looked up from her book at the sound of the portrait door opening to see Ron regarding her with smile. "Sorry I'm late love. I'll be changed in just a moment. Did everyone else leave?"

"Yes, you missed all the fun." Hermione examined Ron closely noticing the wet cloak and muddy shoes, "Have you been outside Ron?" concern evident in her voice.

He looked down at himself and realized lying would get him nowhere. She would know tomorrow what he had been doing and he would be in for it. Tonight he would enjoy her good humor as long as he can, "I had to take care of a bit of business. I'll just get out of these wet clothes and be right back down."

Hermione frowned, "Is it anything I can help with?"

A huge smile broke across Ron's face, "As much as I would love for you to help me with my wet clothes, I think it might be a bad idea if we want to make it to the party."

Hermione's face flushed bright red, "That's not what I meant you prat."

Ron tried to pretend his feeling were hurt, but did a poor job of it. "It's not nice to tease Hermione."

She flushed again, but held his gaze with her own, "You should know by now, I don't tease."

Then it was Ron's turn to flush pink and he could feel the tips of his ears burning. "Ok, well, umm. . . I reckon I should get changed."

Hermione just nodded returning to her book, the hint of a smile on her face.

Ron took a bit longer to get ready than he though as the steaming hot water of the shower lulled him into a state of lethargy. It was in times like this that Ron did his best thinking and he used his relaxed state to consider how he was gong to tell Harry and Hermione about their meeting in the morning with Professor Dumbledore. It might be a bit odd to have the three of them confessing secrets to each other. They were supposed to be each other's best friends and shouldn't have the need for any secrets. Unfortunately, what was normal for most was a luxury that Ron, Harry and Hermione did not share. Stepping out of the shower Ron dried off quickly, pushing the thought of tomorrow out of his mind. He was determined to enjoy the rest of the night with Hermione and deal with the rest in the morning.

By the time Ron and Hermione arrived at the dance, the party had been in full swing for a while. Pausing at the door to the Great Hall, Ron looked around the room noting the different groups of students dancing, talking, and in general having a good time. His Divination girls were all dancing in a circle laughing in a clear space. Susan waved as she caught his eye.

"They are having fun," Ron yelled over the loud music to Hermione, nodding towards the circle of girls.

Hermione shook her head with a smile, "Do you see Harry and Ginny?" she yelled back into his ear.

Ron shook his head no. He did see the group of Slytherins off to the side. A few of them were dancing and even a few braver Ravenclaws had joined them, but for the most part the Slytherins kept to themselves and kept any unwelcome students away from their territory.

Ron caught site of Malfoy and his crew standing in a bunch together. Crabbe and Goyle's dates were at least the same size they were and Ron had to wonder where the girls were from. Malfoy and Pansy stood in the middle of the group inspecting the other students in the Hall.

Ron also spotted Daphne on the dance floor with a Ravenclaw seventh year looking like she was having the time of her life. Blaise stood nearby in deep conversation with another group of Slytherin fifth and seventh years watching the dancers with evident boredom.

Ron turned away from the group and finally found Harry standing with Ginny, Luna and the other fifth year Gryffindors watching his Divination girls dance towards the back of the room where it was a little quieter. He took Hermione by the arm and nodded towards them as they wound their way through the groups of people over to their friends.

Harry smiled and nodded as they approached, "So where have you two been?" he smirked.

"In the shower," Ron replied promptly.

Harry laughed and waggled his eyebrows at them. "Ron, you dog you."

Both Ron and Hermione turned bright pink at that. "Not with me you prat," Hermione frowned. "I was just waiting for him."

"Sure you were," Seamus chuckled winking at her.

"Seamus Finnegan, I'll have you know that not everyone lives in the gutter like you do," Hermione fumed.

Seamus just gave her his patented winning smile and patted Ron on the shoulder, "Are you saying you've never thought about our boy here in the shower?"

Hermione gulped at Seamus' words and replied primly, "I hardly think that's any of your business."

Everyone laughed at that, and then a new voice broke through the laughter. It was a woman's voice warm and almost purring, "So we're talking about Weasley in the shower? Come on Granger don't be shy, brag a little."

Ron turned to see Daphne walk up to his left side and smile at him.

"I prefer to keep my private life just that, private." Hermione sniffed.

Daphne shook her head looking Ron over, "If you say so. I, on the other hand, wouldn't be the least bit shy about it." Ron felt Hermione stiffen beside him and put his arm around her looking at Daphne a question in his eyes.

"You don't strike me as the shy type, Greengrass," Ginny smirked as she looked Daphne up and down. Daphne's green dress left little to the imagination. Ron noticed Seamus look the Slytherin over, an almost predatory gleam in his eye.

At Ginny's snide comment, Daphne laughed, her green eyes sparkling at the younger girl. Ron noted that not only did she have a lovely laugh, but he definitely wasn't the only one who seemed to notice.

"I have found that being shy doesn't get you what you want," Daphne said looking at the young red head. The music changed to a slower number and Susan, Lavendar, and Parvati returned to the group. Daphne watched Lavender and Parvati walk over to Dean and Seamus, both girls staking their claims on the two males. She loved a challenge. "Speaking of which I feel like dancing," Daphne smiled towards the awkward Gryffindor. "Longbottom, come dance with me."

Daphne didn't give Neville any time to say no as she reached out and him out to the dance floor. Neville open and closed his mouth rapidly several times looking shocked, flattered and scared all at the same time.

The guys started to chuckle at Neville's discomfort. The girls all looked from one to the other relaxing, when they heard Luna hiss, "That ruddy slapper had better get her hands the hell off of my Neville."

Everyone froze at the anger in Luna's comment. Susan put her hand on the small blonds shoulder comfortingly as they all watched Neville and Daphne dance. Seamus's thick brogue cut through the silence, "Ah Luna lass, don't worry your head about it, Neville is mad for you."

"But she's beautiful and I'm…..not," Luna said softly. Ginny and Susan looked down at the blond girl ready to object.

"If I were you Lovegood, I wouldn't worry about it," a slow cultured drawl spoke up.

Blaise Zambini had approached them, unnoticed in the unfolding drama, "As highly as you regard Longbottom, he's not Daphne's type."

"She would be lucky to have him," Luna sniffed loyally.

Blaise chuckled at that, "I can see where you might think that Lovegood, but I assure you that Daphne would not see it that way."

"Why not?" Luna demanded her jealousy forgotten in her indignation on Neville's behalf.

"Daphne doesn't find short and dark particularly appealing," Blaise smiled insolently.

"Oh really, well what does she find appealing?" Ginny huffed now clearly affronted on Harry's behalf.

Blaise rested his hand on his chin as if he were pondering the question looking over each guy in his turn, "Well, unless I am mistaken, Daphne has always found blokes who are tall and fair haired very attractive. She is drawn to a fiery sort of fellow, nothing matters to her more than passion," nodding ever so slightly at Ron as he looked directly at Hermione.

At Blaise's words, Ginny turned to look at Hermione and was startled by the look she saw. Hermione nodded once, was smiling at Blaise in understanding, and while holding his gaze, ducked her head under Ron's arm and nuzzled his chest. Blaise had just explained the rules.

Another slow song struck up and Blaise looked at Susan Bones standing next to him, "Shall we?" he asked motioning towards the dance floor.

Susan looked at him for a moment hesitating, and then allowed herself to be lead away from the group.

"I can't believe him," Ginny burst out frustrated at the two Slytherins dancing near by.

"I can. He's gorgeous," Lavendar piped up with a smile and a wink at Seamus' frown.

Luna watched Neville dancing with Daphne and he seemed more relaxed. Daphne hadn't done anything to Neville and nothing inappropriate since stepping onto the dance floor. She had been all talk. Blaise and Susan danced nearby and they were both smiling as if they were enjoying each others company, "I think they are both good people. They just haven't realized it yet."


	68. Confessions of teenage maniacs

Confessions of teenage maniacs

The dance and the party afterward were everything that Ron had imagined. Dancing, laughter, and normal teenage antics for one evening were just what he had been craving. Unfortunately, it did nothing to stop him from waking early the next morning and dragging Harry with him to work out.

"Merlin Harry are you just going to give up?" Ron leaned over Harry as he struggled to push the bar up from his chest.

"How in the hell are you going to save the bloody world if you can't lift a little weight?" Ron encouraged watching Harry strain under the weight..

Harry snarled and grunting with exertion, lifted the bar one more time. Ron grabbed the bar and pulled it back into the bench arms as Harry slowly sat up.

Ron slapped Harry on the back. "Good lift mate, that's your best yet."

Harry was still sitting on the bench leaning over a bit. He had his hands on his arms rubbing his biceps. "It had damn well better be, my arms feel like they are on fire."

"Well that's how you know it's been a good day," Ron laughed slugging him on the shoulder and flopped down on the bench next to him.

Harry frowned and grimaced trying to loosen his tight muscles, "Are we sure this is all worth it?"

"Well if you mean winning at Quidditch, beating Voldemort and driving the girls wild, then yes I believe it is." Ron smirked.

"Well, when you put it that way," Harry laughed. "Though, if I were you, I would not let Hermione hear about those wild women of yours."

"I assure you Potter, I have only one wild woman and, yes, I do like to drive her wild."

Harry grimaced, "Ok, that was too far Weasley. Besides, I can't imagine that Hermione notices if you workout or not."

Ron gave Harry a smug little grin, "Oh, but you are quite mistaken there Harry. She might go on and on about 'Quidditch Neanderthals' in the Great Hall but she does notice."

"Oh really, and what makes you say that? Maybe you're just kidding yourself." Harry returned.

Ron seemed nonplussed considering for a moment and shook his head in denial, "Well, I guess that's possible, but the next time she hugs me, look where her hands end up. When we first started dating, she would hug me with her hands around my waist. Now, she always reaches up to grab my shoulders even though it's harder for her. She notices."

Harry snorted, "Sure Ron, and next you'll be telling me she gets all girly when you are alone."

"I wouldn't say girly, but she is quite feminine to be sure," Ron answered sharply getting to his feet..

Harry shook his head disbelievingly, "What ever you say Ron."

"Ok, Potter, let's get these changed out so we can finish. I still have to do that Charms essay and we have to go to Dumbledore's office before I can do that."

Harry watched Ron closely as he added more weight for the large red-head, "You want to tell me why we have to go to this sodding meeting on a Sunday?"

"I think Dumbledore will do a much better job of that than I can," Ron answered remembering his meeting with Bellatrix. "I don't think it's going to be good though."

"Is it ever good news?" Harry scowled, slamming the weight onto the bar.

Ron just shrugged and moved over to the dumbell rack carrying more weights over to the bench.

Ron lay down on the bench and did his first repetition. Harry wracked the bar between his sets and looked down his face serious.

"Ron, do you ever think about giving up?" Harry asked quietly almost as if he was afraid to voice the doubt.

Ron didn't answer and growled his way through his second set before dropping his dumbells with a loud thunk, "What do you mean? Give up?"

Harry stared at the ground, "You know, stop fighting Voldemort."

Ron wiped the sweat from his face sitting up, "That's not even an option Harry. Voldemort isn't going to go away."

Harry sighed looking up at the ceiling before meeting Ron's gaze again, "Maybe not, but if you stayed away from me, he probably wouldn't come after you."

"Harry I have always said that Hermione was mental, but you are starting to remind me of her. My parents and brothers are in the Order so even if I didn't know you I'd still be in danger and I wouldn't have the best mate in the world either," Ron shook his head. Harry's guilt would always kick in at the oddest moments.

Harry smiled through it as Ron laid back on the bench for his final repetition, "One more question Ron, do you ever feel like hunting the Death Eaters down and killing them all?" Harry asked quietly.

Ron picked up the bar, grunting with the effort, "Only all the time Harry. Sometimes, I can't sleep at night thinking about it."

Ron worked through his last set with a vengeance, finally slamming the bar back. Harry snorted, "Then why don't we?"

Ron looked back at his best mate thinking of the Death Eaters he had killed remorse touching him for a moment, "Because, as much as they deserve it, we don't kill if we don't have to. Now if it comes down to having to kill some of them to save innocent people, then I'll do it in a heartbeat." Ron rose to his feet and paced around the bench, "I've got to tell you the truth though Harry, if I don't kill anybody else I'll be ok with that." Then he paused for just a moment, "But, I think I'm going to end up killing Malfoy."

"Which one?" Harry asked laughing thinking he was making a joke.

"All of them," Ron growled. "They are too arrogant to know when to stop Harry. They are going to try and hurt Hermione, and I'm going to make them pay."

Silence descended on the room until the door to the Room of Requirement swung open, followed by a winded Susan and Neville.

"Next time, one of you goes with her on her 10k run. After last night with Luna and this morning with this slave driver, I can barely move," Neville huffed sitting on the floor gasping, his face bright red from exertion.

Susan laughed pulling off her gloves and ear warmers, "A little run is good for you Neville. Just think about Luna and how much she appreciates the new trim you."

Neville groaned and pointed to Ron and Harry, "I can't keep up with her. Harry, it's your turn to go with her tomorrow. You may want to take your broom."

Ron laughed hoisting Neville to his feet, "At least we can all out lift her."

"Did we interrupt something?" Susan asked suddenly noticing the odd tension between the two Gryffindors.

"No," Ron and Harry answered too quickly. Susan and Neville looked to each other and then back to Ron and Harry.

"Sure," she replied with a quirked eyebrow. She hadn't been fooled. "Come on Neville, now you can impress me with how much iron you can lift."

Ron and Harry left the room to Neville's grumbling and Harry couldn't help but add, "If we are lifting to impress the girls, why is Susan in there?"

"Trying to impress Terry?" Ron asked in mock seriousness.

"I really don't think he is the type that would care," Harry answered before both mates laughed as they headed back to the Gryffindor Tower to start their day.

A short time later, Harry, Ron and Hermione came to a stop in front of the stone gargoyles that hid the door to Professor's Dumbledore's office.

"Anybody know what the password is right now?" Harry asked.

Ron just shrugged and Hermione shook her head.

"Pepper Imps, Cockroach Clusters, Fizzing Whizbys, Acid Pops, Canary Cremes…" As the last words left Harry's mouth the door swung open and Harry turned to Ron with a grin, "Dumbledore really does like your brothers doesn't he?"

Ron scowled, "Yes, well, he never had his teddy bear turned into a giant spider by those monsters now did he?"

Both Harry and Hermione both laughed out loud before a hurt look fixed itself on Ron's face.

Hermione shook her head and smiled sweetly nudging Ron, "Surely my great big boyfriend isn't still mad about a little joke that happened years ago."

Ron's annoyance disappeared as quickly as it had started, his mental girlfriend really could make sense at times, "Well, I guess it was a long time ago."

Harry rolled his eyes, "Can we go in now? The Professor is waiting on us."

Ron made a face back at Harry and then walked through the door pulling Hermione behind him.

"You wanted to see us Professor?" Ron's voiced trailed off as he noticed the figure standing off to the side of Professor Dumbledore's desk. "Talon, what are you doing here?" Ron said his voice cracking slightly.

Hermione shot a questioning look at Harry taking in the large man attired in a full suit of armor with an elaborate mask and sword, before speaking up, "Professor Dumbledore, you wanted to speak with us?"

Professor Dumbledore nodded to the girl, "Yes I did Miss Granger, however Mr. Weasley needs to speak with his friend for a moment. Why don't you and Harry have a seat?" Dumbledore waved his hands and two chairs appeared for Harry and Hermione. "You may use the conference room through there," gesturing to one of the large portraits that lined the walls of his office and it swung open as if on a hinge.

"Thank you," Talon nodded to Dumbledore before gesturing for Ron to precede him through the portrait hole. Ron walked through the opening noticing four chairs grouped around a small round table.

He waited until the door closed behind Talon before asking his questions, "Talon, what are you doing here?" he asked again

The older knight chuckled, "Albus has asked for the Order's help, and I am going to oblige. You are going to be helping some students here find this Cauldron they are looking for."

"What about Val, Talon?" Ron asked confused.

Talon chuckled for a moment, "Val will be joining us in just a moment. Professor Dumbledore will be making preparations to allow Val access to the school whenever she needs it. You should know that I've already informed Val of what's going on and she got quite angry when she thought you were going to be working by yourself. You are fortunate to have the loyalty of such a good friend."

"I know Talon, trust me I know," Ron replied.

Talon's tone changed abruptly becoming more serious, "You need to cast the Armoring Charm. When we rejoin the others, you will be Fury of the Order of the Coeur de Lion, and as such you must be armored and masked."

Ron cast the charm and felt the almost weightless armor settle around him and cover his face. A moment later he felt the considerable weight of his chosen sword sink comfortably on his hip, "They will know who I am Talon."

"Dumbledore assured me that you would willingly trust them with your secret, but even so, no member of our Order may go about Order business unmasked," Talon warned.

"I understand," Ron replied.

"Well then young squire, let us attend to the business at hand," Talon clapped Ron on the back with a hearty thump.

The door opened and Talon left, Ron half a step behind.

Professor Dumbledore stood upon their entrance, "Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, let me introduce you to my friends, this is Sir Talon, Head of the Order of the Coeur De Lion, and his squire, Fury."

Both Talon and Fury bowed to them and Talon spoke, his voice deep and cultured, "It is a great pleasure to meet the two of you. Professor Dumbledore has told me of your extensive efforts in the battle against the Dark Lord."

Harry and Hermione rose to their feet, Ron stood before them in an elaborate suit of armor with a mask the covered most of his face. A large broadsword swung at his hip. Harry couldn't help but notice, that he seemed accustomed to the armor and the sword. Hermione answered focusing on Talon, 'Thank you, Sir Talon, if I'm not mistaken the name of your order translates to 'The Order of the Lion Heart' doesn't it?"

"As clever as you are beautiful Miss Granger. I can see why Professor Dumbledore chose you for the task at hand," Talon nodded towards the girl.

Harry shot a look over at Hermione expecting to see her rolling her eyes at Talon's compliment. He was a bit surprised to see Hermione blush a bit and smile back at the knight.

Talon's amusement grew as he sensed Fury shifting in annoyance. It confirmed his idea that this woman was Fury's love interest. Talon gestured to Fury behind him, "I would also like to introduce my sword squire, Fury."

Fury bowed to Harry and Hermione as smoothly as possible. Harry couldn't get over the change in his best friend. In other circumstances it would have been a joke to see Ron in his ancient looking armor and intricate mask. Instead, Harry sensed that Ron took a great deal of pride in his service to the Order killing the thought before it fully formed.

Hermione's eyes swept up and down taking in the sight of Fury in his armor, one hand resting lightly on the hilt of his sword. Hermione knew that Ron stood before her and she was surprised at the mixed feelings that rushed upon her. Confusion, hurt that she had not suspected, pride and thankfulness that he had found an Order that seemed better suited to him than the Order of the Phoenix would have been.

Suppressing all of these emotions, Hermione replied, "Somehow, I believe that Fury is quite aptly named. Did he chose the name himself or did you give him that moniker, Sir Talon?"

Before Talon could reply, a sudden whoosh split the air and a small cloud of dust poured out of the fireplace and a musical, feminine voice responded, "It was I who named him Fury."

Everyone turned to the source of the voice and Harry was surprised to see a slender blond woman in gleaming armor standing there with a slight smile on her lips and a hand placed on one hip.

Talon's voice cut through the silence, "Professor Dumbledore, Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, I would like to introduce my shield squire, Val."

Val bowed to them and then moved to stand beside Fury touching his shoulder for a moment in greeting before taking her place at Talon's right.

Harry chanced another look at Hermione, and quickly hid his smile. While she hadn't reacted to Ron in his armor, she was definitely giving the newcomer her best icy glare at the familiarity between Val and Fury. Ron would have some explaining to do after all this was done.

Talon turned his attention back to Professor Dumbledore, "I understand that you believe your students can uncover the location of the Cauldron but I am still unclear as to how Fury and Val can help you. "Talon gestured towards his squires, "Both of them are quite clever, but neither of them is much in the way of a researcher I would imagine."

Professor Dumbledore smiled, "It is my opinion that the Cauldron will be protected by more than just having its location hidden. If this is indeed the case, then Mr. Potter and Miss Granger will be needing assistance and who better to help them than two of your finest squires? While both Harry and Hermione have seen their share of scrapes, it would be wise to have a good bit of experience to help them."

Talon nodded his head, "They will need some way to contact each other so they can make arrangements to work on their task."

Professor Dumbledore nodded, "Hermione has a way to contact Fury I believe. He can contact Val, while Hermione reaches Harry. Are you comfortable being Fury's contact Miss Granger?"

"Yes Professor, anything to help," Hermione replied her voice even.

"Excuse me Talon, but are you sure it's wise to have a non-Order member contact Fury at any time? It could be exploited by the enemy," Val spoke up concerned.

Before Talon could answer Professor Dumbledore spoke, "I assure you Val that no one here would deliberately place Fury in danger due to their actions."

"With all due respect sir, I don't know if I can trust people I don't know to do that," Val responded her voice dripping with ice.

"Val," Ron spoke up placing a hand on her shoulder, "Remember the newspaper?" hoping that she would remember that he was friends with everyone in the room.

Val paused a moment before replying, nodding towards Harry clearly still upset, "That only addresses one of the two, Fury."

Harry stepped closer to Hermione and placed a comforting hand on his best friends shoulder. Hermione shook her head silencing Harry's protests before replying, "Then let me sooth your concern. I give you my word that I will never let my ability to contact Fury cause him any harm."

Val considered this for a moment, "You must understand, it is my duty to be aware of all things that might be a danger to my partner, just as I am sure you feel about your own," she said gesturing to Harry.

Hermione and Harry looked at each other in confusion for a moment. Did Val think they were together?

"Val," Talon interceded, "If Professor Dumbledore says that it is safe then it is safe. You can take his word, as my own."

"Yes Talon," Val said holding her head high "My apologies, I am not quick to trust others, especially when my own people may be in danger."

Talon looked over the four and back to Professor Dumbledore, "Well, if everyone is now comfortable with the idea, I will let the four of you make plans to solve this particular riddle. Professor Dumbledore, I thank you for your hospitality. Val and I will use your Floo to go back to our headquarters if you don't mind."

"By all means Talon," Dumbledore replied gesturing to his fireplace.

Val didn't move, "But Talon, what about Fury? Won't he be coming with us?"

Talon shook his head, "No, he is going to stay behind and gather what information you will need for your part in this. Fury will contact you _very_ soon to tell you everything you need to know."

"Yes sir," Fury and Val responded to the Knight's command.

Once the two knights had left the room, all eyes turned towards Ron. "Look, can you change back to normal for a moment. We all need to talk," Harry frowned.

"You're telling me you met with Bellatrix LeBlack on the Quidditch field and didn't tell us?" Harry demanded.

"It was under terms of Parley, nothing could have happened," Ron replied.

"The Dark Queen . . .," Hermione murmured drawing looks from Harry and Ron.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Nothing, just thinking," Hermione waved it away. "We have too much to figure out. A Seer is helping Voldemort. We are going to have to be careful. I finished my report on the preliminary findings in regards to the location of the Cauldron of Medea. Professor, have you had an opportunity to peruse my findings?"

"Yes Miss Granger, but for the sake of time why don't you summarize what you have written," Dumbledore replied motioning towards a large scroll on his desk. Hermione never did anything in half measures.

"Harry and I have been through half the library it seems looking for references to the Cauldron. We found little, but what we have found indicates the Cauldron is hidden in the foundation of the school. The most logical place to access that would be from the dungeons."

"The dungeons are littered with Slytherins. How are we going to investigate without the whole school knowing what we are up to, not to mention alerting the people that would be most likely to tell Voldemort?" Harry growled.

The room fell silent for a moment until Ron spoke up, "Well, we get the Slytherins to look for us."

"You must be joking," Hermione shook her head. "We couldn't tell them anything and why would they go out of their way to help us?"

"I am sure Daphne would help," Ron added oblivious to Hermione's frown.

"Oh, I am sure she would help. I would just rather not _ask _her to help," Zambini's warnings from the night before were still present in Hermione's thoughts. The less she and Ron had to do with a certain blond Slytherin, the better.

"Hermione, he has a point. A Seer wouldn't be tracking Daphne and Blaise. We could look somewhere all together different to throw Voldemort off of our trail," Harry backed Ron. Hermione thought furiously for a moment, but was unable to come up with a better alternative.

Hermione surrendered for the moment, looking from Harry to Ron, "Very well, but you two are asking them. I want nothing to do with this. I will meet you both back at the Common Room. Good day Professor."

Hermione retreated to her favorite past time while she waited for Ron and Harry to return. The portrait hole had opened six times, and none had been them. The waiting was beginning to grate on Hermione's nerves making her regret sending the boys out alone to find the Slytherins. Her preoccupation with Ron distracted her from the person standing in front of her,

"Hermione?" Ginny asked. "May I join you?"

Hermione laughed, "Of course. Sorry, you caught me in the middle of a thought," She quickly cleared a spot on the couch for her second favorite red head.

"Have you given any thought to who should work with us in the Circle?" Ginny asked with a smile.

Hermione shook her head, "Not yet, I need to do that but I've been so busy, Ginny. It seems like there is so much to do and not enough time to do it in." The brown haired girl sighed and slumped further into the couch, wrapping her arms around her knees in a ball.

Ginny smiled reassuringly, "Well, I have had a chance to think about it, and I have a list, if you are interested."

Hermione's eyes sparked with sudden interest and she sat up a little straighter, "I'd love to hear what you've come up with, Ginny."

"Well," the red head smiled. "We need twelve as the optimum number eight to get us a good start. Right now we have Luna, you and me. From what I've read in that book of yours, the circle can be used to cast powerful divination spells. It would make sense to get at least a couple of girls who are good at that aspect."

"That makes sense," Hermione agreed with her.

Ginny grimaced a bit, but continued, "Both Lavender and Parvati are very good at Divination and they are our friends. I think we should if they would join us."

Hermione rolled her eyes at the mention of her two roommates, "You know how much they gossip. I'd rather this not be all over the school."

"I know you think they are a bit silly, and truthfully they really are, but they do know Divination. Luna has some skill at it, but neither you nor I are any good at it at all. Besides, they did manage to keep the DA secret last year." Ginny countered.

Hermione thought for a moment, "OK we'll talk to them. That brings us up to five. Who else were you considering?"

"Padma Patil, is one of the best students in Hogwarts, and I think she would be a big help. This type of thing she would find fascinating. Plus, if we can convince Lavendar and Parvati, Padma would definitely join."

"She could be a big help, anybody else?" Hermione frowned. "That's only half of what we need."

Ginny hesitated for a moment fiddling with her hair, and then squared her shoulders, "You're going to hate this, but we should also talk to Daphne Greengrass about it."

"No," Hermione didn't even pause. "Absolutely not, you heard Zambini last night. I'd rather not share my intimate thoughts with that woman. What about Hannah Abbot?"

"Hannah Abbot? She's about the most mediocre witch in school. Daphne's a good choice. She's almost as smart as you and she's got guts." Ginny pressed.

"I don't trust her Ginny," Hermione growled her thoughts returning to Ron and Harry.

"Do you mean, you don't trust her to work with us, or is it you don't trust her with my brother?" Ginny asked looking Hermione in the eyes.

Hermione looked down for a minute and then looked back up at Ginny, "I don't like the way she looks at Ron."

Ginny sighed, "I understand what you are saying Hermione, but it's not how she looks at Ron that matters. It's how Ron looks at you that matters, and everybody, including Daphne, knows you're the only one he wants."

"I know I'm being a bit silly Ginny, it's just hard sometimes. Especially after last night," Hermione frowned again.

"I know Hermione, but we need help. Ron loves you. The entire planet knows that. Besides, maybe Daphne isn't after Ron at all. Maybe she just wants to annoy you," Ginny suggested.

"This is supposed to cheer me up?" Hermione quirked an eyebrow at the red head.

"Look, Hermione, you beat her in every class. The girl is competitive and ambitious and trust me, it gets old living in another person's shadow. Maybe she is flirting with Ron, just to get back at you a bit? If you ignore her when she does that, she'll realize it won't work anymore and she'll leave him alone," Ginny offered.

Hermione considered that thought for a moment, "All right Ginny. We do this your way. I'll ignore her flirting with Ron, but I don't have to like it. I also don't have to like including her in our Circle. That still only leaves us with seven. We need one more and we need them all to agree."

"I think we should ask Susan Bones to be the eighth. She smart and she has to be tough to work with the boys the way she does.

"Ok, now that that's all settled. Let's think about how to tell them," Ginny smiled leaning back against the cushions.

"Don't fret, Hermione. You let me worry about keeping Daphne in line, OK?" Ginny offered hoping she could live up to her end of the bargain.

Hermione nodded, "Ok Ginny, you take care of Daphne. I'll work out how to tell everyone. My first thought is that we will have to show them."

"Where in the bloody hell can those two be Harry?" Ron's frustration was mounting after an hour of wandering around the dungeons. "Oh bloody hell, why didn't I think of this earlier? Why didn't we get your map?"

Harry shook his head, "Why didn't I think of that. Let's swing by the library on our way back to the Common Room."

"We might as well mate, I can't think of anywhere else they'd be. We've been over most of the school. Hey, Harry, you remember Kirke and Sloper at last practice?" Ron tried to change the subject. Lunch was sounding really good at the moment.

They walked along the hallway towards the library, laughing about how Kirke and Sloper had almost killed each other at their last Quidditch practice, when a blur came around the corner and flattened Harry.

Harry grunted as he hit the floor, wrapping his arms around the person lying on his chest to protect them from the fall. Instinct told him the figure with the curves was a girl, a moment before his brain registered it and he felt his face heat. The sound of Ron's laughter didn't help the situation.

"A hand would be nice, you prat," Harry snarled trying to lift the blond girl off of him.

Ron clapped politely for a moment and then leaned down to gather the books that had fallen from the mystery girl's haversack.

The girl moved pushing herself away from his chest and looking down at him, her hair covered her face, "I'm sorry. I didn't see you." She swung her hair out of her eyes, her face looked tear streaked, but Harry knew her.

"Susan?" Harry asked quietly.

"Harry?" Susan met his eyes and quickly scrambled to her feet.

Harry followed her, his body sore from the tumble.

"I am so sorry," she started to say again, the tears close to the surface. Harry touched her shoulder gently for a moment before Susan threw herself at Harry and hugged him tightly for a moment before releasing him and launching herself at Ron like she wanted to crack his ribs.

"Have I ever told you guys how glad I am that we are friends?" she asked her face still buried in Ron's chest. Ron stroked her hair for a moment as if she were Ginny, before she stepped away from him.

"Susan, are you ok?" Harry asked softy as he moved closer.

Susan looked up at him and offered them both a weak smile, as she swiped her hand across her eyes, "It's Terry and Hannah, he's going to drive me crazy and she's helping him do it."

Ron looked at Harry out of the corner of his eyes. Neither male knew what to do. The one nice thing about being friends with Susan as opposed to most girls, their own girlfriends included, was her equilibrium. Things didn't faze her. You never wondered if she was mental. She wasn't whiny, didn't anger very easily, and always seemed cheerful and sincere. A person always knew where they stood with her. A crying, upset, emotional Susan was a surprise to be sure.

Harry patted the girl on the shoulder for a bit, "You want to tell us what's going on Susan?"

Susan let out a loud sigh, "You probably don't know this, but Terry and I dated for about two months last fall, but it didn't really go anywhere. We were friends before we dated and stayed friends afterward, or so I thought. It just seemed natural that we would end up going to the party togetheras friends. I reminded him of that fact several times and everything seemed fine. We were both having a good time, until Blaise asked me to dance. Since Terry wasn't my date, I didn't think it was such a big deal."

Susan paused to catch her breath and then continued with her story, "Well I was in the library studying with Hannah and Terry just now when Terry made a huge scene about us being 'together' at the dance and how he was hurt and offended that I would dance with a Slytherin. Honestly why wouldn't I? I tried to explain to him that we were just friends, and that is was one dance and he wouldn't listen. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse Hannah started to agree with him."

Susan shook her head, "She said it was inappropriate. She made it sound like I shagged him in the Great Hall or something. Terry started backing her up telling me that Blaise was after something. I laughed at that point. The whole thing was utterly ridiculous, and said, 'Yeah he was after a dance.' For Merlin's sake, it was one dance and they don't know anything about Blaise anyway. I tried to tell them that he was OK, but they wouldn't even listen to me. They started spouting of some shite about how a leopard can't change its spots. They started putting down all of the Slytherins at that point. I couldn't believe it. They had no right to judge a bunch of people that has never done anything to them based on the color of their stupid neck ties. It wasn't right."

Susan blushed and laughed at that point, 'Well, you can guess I got rather upset. I asked what right they had to judge a person they had never even talked to. Then I reminded them both, that Terry and I had only gone as friends, and boy did I regret even that. Not too mention that even if we had gone together, I would dance with whomever I wanted to whenever I wanted to and if I wanted to dance naked in the Great Hall with Draco Malfoy, it was none of their business. Well needless to say, neither one of them liked that very much."

"Neither would I. You started out on the right track but why Draco? It just ruined a beautiful thought." A slow cultured drawl came from behind her.

Susan turned red and whirled around to find Blaise and Daphne standing just out of sight, "You two are really good at the silent approach, aren't you?"

"It comes in handy," Daphne smiled, with no hint of an apology.

"That's it. If you will all excuse me," Susan muttered taking her bag from Ron and walking away.

Blaise and Daphne watched the tall blond girl walk away for a moment before looking at each other; they had heard Susan's entire rant and were concerned, but hopeful. The Hufflepuff had defended them to her Housemates. Things were looking promising for their plan.

Daphne smirked at Blaise, "You probably shouldn't have said that."

Blaise shrugged and looked at Harry and Ron, "It was the truth," he said simply.

Ron and Harry after a moment of contemplation both nodded in agreement. Harry seemed to shake the thoughts of a naked Susan Bones out of his head first and remember exactly what they were supposed to be doing, "We need to talk to the two of you."


	69. fever Pitch

Four days after Hermione had agreed to ignore Daphne Greengrass, she sat staring at her Orb watching the additional defense training and counted the tenth time Daphne had touched Ron in the past hour. Not for the first time, she wished she could hear what people were saying rather than just seeing their actions. The usual group included all of the sixth year male Gryffindors and Susan Bones. Hermione had asked Ron and Harry once why Susan Bones was included in the group, but neither boy would say anything other than it had to do with Dumbledore and she was supposed to be there. Today they had added Daphne Greengrass and Cho Chang and Hermione wanted to know why.

Hermione leaned back against the headboard of her bed with a sigh. The orb resting in her lap continued to glow softly, but she kept her eyes closed as she massaged her temples with her fingertips. She felt low. Ron loved her, she repeated to herself. He loved her. She shouldn't need to spy on him. Repeating that over and over only delayed the inevitable as she opened her eyes to look back into the Orb in time to see Cho laughing at something Harry had done. As engrossed as she was in the Orb, she missed hearing the door to her dormitory open.

"Hermione are you awake?" she heard Ginny ask softly.

Sitting up straight Hermione pulled the hangings around her bed open, hiding the Orb under her pillow, "Hello Ginny, I was just looking into some things. Is there something I can help you with?"

Ginny walked over to sit on the edge of Hermione's bed, "Well, I was wondering if you were feeling alright. You disappeared up here right after classes and I wanted to talk to you about the Circle."

Hermione rubbed her eyes again and smiled at her friend, "I guess I did come up here rather quickly. I wanted to get started on my reading and the common room is a bit distracting sometimes."

Ginny flashed a grin at her, "Is the common room distracting or is it a certain Weasley boy who distracts you so?"

Hermione pulled a face and then laughed, "Both really, the common room can get a bit loud right after classes and every so often I find myself unable to concentrate while Ron is in the room. Not that you need to tell him that."

"You can be sure I won't tell him that Hermione. If he knew, he would be too hard to live with. He isn't in the common room now though. Come to think of it, I don't know where he is. For that matter, where is Harry?" Ginny frowned.

"They are in the Room of Requirement," Hermione replied, her frown returning as she shifted and the glow from Orb spilled out across her bed.

"So, you have been ummm… observing him then?" Ginny asked pointing to the Orb suppressing a giggle.

"Him among other people," Hermione responded dryly taking the Orb back into her lap.

"Who else have to been watching?" Ginny asked curiosity getting the better of her.

"It seems that there have been some additions to their little training group. Not that Ron mentioned it to me."

Hermione's bitter tone peaked Ginny's curiosity, "Who did they add Hermione?"

Hermione looked Ginny in the eyes, "Are you sure you want to know Ginny? You aren't going to like one of them."

"Oh, come on Hermione, why would I care who they train with?" Ginny smirked.

"They added Daphne and Cho Chang, both of whom are in the Room of Requirement right now," Hermione furrowed her brows as if in distaste.

Ginny had started to smirk at her friend when she had mentioned Daphne's name only to have her smirk replaced with a scowl when Cho's name quickly followed, "Why would they want to add that cow Cho? All she ever does is cry."

Hermione laughed at the look on Ginny's face, "Oh I see, when a girl is after my boyfriend, I have to relax and trust him, but when Cho shows up training with Harry, it is OK for you to be upset."

Ginny narrowed her eyes, "I trust Harry totally, but I will hex that cow into oblivion if she tries anything."

"Ginny, I don't think you should call her a cow just because she used to be interested in Harry," Hermione managed to say, trying to hold back her laughter.

"Hermione, how long have you been watching them in the Room of Requirement?" Ginny asked suddenly.

Hermione blushed scarlet, "Since I came upstairs after class. Why do you ask?"

Ginny also blushed but still looked Hermione in the eyes, "Has that cow.. I mean Cho tried anything yet?"

Hermione raised her hands to cover her mouth so she wouldn't laugh at the look on Ginny's face. Unable to tell Ginny the answer verbally, she shook her head from side to side glad to see Ginny start to relax.

"So how is Daphne behaving?" Ginny asked gratified to see Hermione stop laughing.

"She keeps _touching_ Ron. If she keeps it up, I'm going to break her hands," Hermione growled.

Ginny sat straight up, a bit taken aback by the tone of Hermione's voice, "How has she been touching him Hermione? If he's fooling around, I'll give him some Bat Bogeys to think about."

Hermione shook her head, "No Ginny, he's not fooling around as you put it. It's not even anything major. I just don't like how she will put her hand on his shoulder when he says something funny. I also heard that Ron had gotten bruised up in his last Directed Studies class and he asked Daphne to cast the healing charm instead of coming to ask me to do it."

Ginny looked down for a minute and then she looked back up at Hermione, "I knew about that Hermione. He asked me first and it was a bit beyond my skill with Healing charms so I suggested he go to Daphne."

Hermione wasn't able to hide the look of hurt on her face, "Why did you do that Ginny? You know how I love to take care of Ron."

Ginny reached out and grabbed Hermione's hands, "Please don't be mad. It was one of the times you were in the library all day doing research, and neither Ron or I wanted to bother you when you were working so hard."

Hermione nodded sadly, "I guess I can understand that, but why haven't they asked _us_ to train with them? I've been with them all the other times, what's different now?"

"Oh Hermione," Ginny shook her head, "Is that what is really bothering you?"

Hermione nodded as one tear ran down her cheek, "I feel like I'm being replaced. Adding Susan was bad enough, but it's Susan. Adding her was like adding you, I guess I didn't feel threatened, especially when Harry and Ron said Dumbledore had something to do with it. Now though, adding Cho and Daphne. . . why haven't they asked us? Seriously, we are at least as good at defense spells as those two are."

Ginny reached out and pulled Hermione into a hug, "That couldn't be further from the truth, Hermione. I overheard Ron and Harry talking in the common room late one night and they were saying that they weren't going to have you join them because you were far more valuable doing research and figuring things out. I believe my brother's exact quote was 'I can teach any old gobshite to yell STUPEFY over and over again, but there's only one Hermione and she's the most important person in this fight. Well, after you Harry.' So, it has nothing to do with your being replaced Hermione, it has everything to do with how highly they value you."

"So, I'm just being silly then?" Hermione asked wiping her face.

"Yes Hermione, you are just being silly," Ginny replied. "Now enough of this, I want to know why Harry and Ron have been meeting with Blaise Zambini and Daphne so often."

Hermione sighed, "I can't Ginny." Ginny's face fell and Hermione quickly added, "Well, I can't without talking to Ron and Harry about it first." Ginny brightened up considerably, "I'll tell you what Ginny, you and I will talk to them about it tonight. It's time you knew anyway, plus all these secrets are starting to wear thin on me."

The first class with Daphne and Cho had been interesting enough. Seamus and Daphne had worked together for most of the lesson, while Dean and Cho trained together. Ron and Harry watched the group and gave pointers from time to time. Each time Ron walked by Daphne she smiled at him as if she was having fun, and he was glad that they had asked her to join.

These practices ran similar to the DA meetings from the previous year. Harry instructed and at times brought in different professors to help. Although, it had to be said that the students in this room were well above NEWT level Defense Spells. Ron had never appreciated how much all of the training they had been doing had affected their progress until Cho began practicing with them. She barely kept up with Dean who was by far the worst of the six. Daphne on the other hand seemed almost equivalent in comparison. It puzzled Ron as he thought about it and decided to ask for Harry's opinion.

"So, what do you think about our latest members?" Ron asked looking over at his best mate.

"Daphne's good. She didn't learn all of that in Defense class," Harry started noting the blond girl knock Seamus to the floor. "Did you see her Shield Charms? She's the best one in here after Susan. She even knew a couple that Susan hadn't heard of and I know Moody has been working with her rather extensively. Also, did you notice Seamus? He's gotten sloppy training against Dean. We need to keep mixing up the partners."

Ron looked over to where the blond Slytherin stood talking with Seamus, he couldn't quite shake the feeling of familiarity with the spells Daphne had been using. He had no real explanation, just a sense that he was missing something.

He looked over to where Dean and Cho were standing nearby, "Cho did well. It seems she hasn't forgotten much since last year," Ron offered changing the subject.

"Yes, I suppose. She's well behind all the others though. I'm going to ask Dean to work with her more outside of here to catch her up," Harry added. "Ron, while I am thinking about it, work with Susan. Keep focusing on her dueling. I know the shields are important, but she still needs to be more aggressive in a fight. I want her to be able to take Neville before the month is out. There's no reason that she shouldn't."

"So you think Susan is that good?" Ron asked noticing the Hufflepuff talking to Neville.

"I think she could be that good. I also think Daphne could give her a run for her money," Harry added.

Harry and Ron continued to clean up in silence as the other members of their training class had started to file out of the door. Ron noticed that Daphne was hanging back, waiting, until everyone else had left. As the door finally closed, Ron tapped Harry on the shoulder as Daphne approached them, "Blaise and I found something, but we need help."

"What did you find?" Harry asked before Ron could voice the same question.

Daphne lowered her voice and stepped closer to both of them, "We found a series of doors that were in a hidden passage in the dungeons that wasn't on your map. The map you gave us only covered the corridors. Blaise created another map to track the passages we have found."

"Wait, Blaise copied the map? How? How did you even find the passages in the first place?" Harry asked interrupting.

Daphne smiled, "Let's just say, Blaise comes from an extremely wealthy and an extremely paranoid family. If you want to hide something where no one would find it, Blaise is your guy. Conversely, finding something hidden is equally his forte. How do you think the guy lived with Malfoy for six years without problems?"

"Really? What kind of spells did he use to find the opening?" Harry asked.

Daphne shook her head, "You need to get the particulars from him. Those passages we found lead to a large door that we haven't been able to get open. Blaise seems to think that Granger can help open it and I reluctantly agreed with him. We need to have a meeting to go over what we have found, and then take a look at the door. Does Sunday work for you two?"

Ron smiled. He had been looking forward to the Slytherin/Gryffindor Quidditch game all week. "Sunday afternoon would be good for us. It should give you and Blaise a chance to get over the crushing defeat you are going to suffer at our hands in Quidditch this weekend," Ron couldn't help but taunt the Slytherin.

"A bit sure of yourself, aren't you Weasley?" Daphne sneered. "I must have forgotten you had all that Gryffindor arrogance for a moment."

"I'm just confident in my mate here. Best seeker Hogwarts has ever seen," Ron smiled and threw an arm around Harry's shoulders. "So really all I have to do is sit back and wait for Harry to catch the snitch."

"I'm sure Blaise would have a few choice words for you about that," Daphne shook her head. "You two are really too much, you know that?"

"Hey, don't blame me," Harry quipped holding up his hands, "He's the one with the really big head."

"Oh really?" Daphne asked looking Ron over with an evil smile, "I had heard that rumor before, but I guess wasn't expecting confirmation from you Potter," Ron and Harry blushed at her insinuation. "Now, if you two will excuse me, I have some Hufflepuffs to bully. Must keep up appearances you know."

Ron and Harry laughed at her joke as they watched her walk out the door. "She wasn't serious, was she?" Harry asked.

"I hope not, but you can't really tell with her," Ron replied.

"Come on Ron, we need to work on our Transfiguration essay and then we can go over the last bit of Quidditch plays for practice tomorrow. I want to make sure we kill Slytherin this weekend," Harry said moving towards the door.

Ron just rolled his eyes and followed Harry, curious about the door Daphne had found.

Susan walked slowly into the library, her sore muscles tightening as she walked. Susan was tired. Her fight with Terry and Hannah dragged at her, her Aunts letters and warnings, all of the training, classes, and even her parents concern sapped her.

It had been five days and Susan was beginning to worry whether Terry and Hannah would ever apologize. Most of the time she didn't miss them, but the library was where it hit the worst. Her rucksack seemed to weigh a ton, the strap was digging into her shoulder, as she walked closer to the door. What would she do if Terry and Hannah were actually studying? The last thing Susan wanted was another scene. That thought stopped her as she debated heading back to her common room, the Charms essay be damned.

She stood outside of the library door, struggling with her own indecisiveness, when she felt the strap being lifted off of her shoulder. Before she could see who was behind her, she heard the slow, cultured drawl that had recently begun to haunt her thoughts. "I think I should give you a hand with this."

Susan turned to find Blaise Zambini standing behind her, holding both her bag and his own, the sarcastic smile present on his face. The smile that made a person feel as if he was laughing at them for one reason or another. Susan tried and failed to hide her surprise, and did she dare admit relief, at his presence.

"No need to look stunned Susan, even Slytherins need to study sometimes," Blaise continued laughing at her discomfort while he slung her rucksack over his shoulder.

Susan's surprise and fatigue evaporated, quickly turning into a look of annoyance, "I would think that you know I don't buy into stupid prejudices. I know who MY friends are and I certainly don't hesitate to support them when they need it."

Blaise nodded, the smile still in place, not the least bit upset by her change in attitude, "You certainly do. Of course, YOU don't have to worry if YOUR Housemates are going to curse you when you aren't paying attention either."

Susan had to concede that Blaise had a point, but she wasn't willing to leave it at that. Susan nodded towards her rucksack slung across Blaise's shoulders, "So why are you being nice to me, if it could get you in trouble?"

Blaise's smile disappeared and he grew serious, taking half a step towards her. Unsure of what to do, Susan backed away from him and into the door to the library. Blaise reached around her, his face coming dangerously close to her own, when he murmured, "Some things are worth the risk."

Susan turned to meet his dark eyes for a moment, surprised at the sincerity she saw, before he opened the door, taking her elbow to guide her into the room. Susan stumbled as she fought to keep a blush from spreading over her face. She looked back at Blaise to see the same all-knowing smile as he followed her into the library.

Before she could get upset, he motioned towards the tables, "Shall we find a table to study at then?" Blaise asked the amusement evident in his voice.

Susan turned and took in the number of students that were looking at them. She nodded leading them towards the back table with the view of the Quidditch pitch that she typically preferred. Half of the students began whispering as she and Blaise passed, and the others either waved at her or nodded to Blaise. Susan recognized many of the faces, including Cho Chang, but she wasn't in the mood to stop and gossip. She waved to those she knew and ignored the frowns from a few of the fifth year Slytherins studying on their own.

As distracted as she was, she didn't notice Terry and Hannah at her table until she turned down the row to see them working on the same Charms essay she had come to complete.

Susan stopped and looked up at Blaise, "There are more tables on the other side of the room. Let's try one of those."

Blaise saw Terry and Hannah and then looked back at Susan, a frown etched across his face, "Very well."

Susan began to walk away when Terry's voice stopped her, "What do you want?"

Susan looked back at him coolly, "Nothing, excuse the interruption," she replied, turning back towards the free table. She caught Blaise's eye and silently begged him not to say anything. He had changed from the silent laughter into the proud Slytherin in an instant, glaring back at Hannah and Terry.

"Keep your clothes on," Hannah muttered under her breath and Terry chuckled. Susan paled, but wasn't going to say anything until she saw Blaise's face. He was furious, but instead of angry red, his look was filled with ice. He turned back to stand in front of the Terry and Hannah, leaving Susan no choice but to follow.

Susan glanced over where several third year Hufflepuffs sat nearby avidly watching the exchange and Susan kicked herself for coming back to the library. She followed Blaise wanting to prevent another scene.

Blaise ignored her approach as he glared at Hannah, "Say it again."

"Excuse me?" Hannah squeaked looking up from her books.

Blaise crossed his arms, sneering at the girl, "Say it again."

Hannah paled and didn't respond. Blaise shook his head and looked over at Terry, "Boot, you laughed. What did she say?"

Terry opened his mouth and closed it several times, but also didn't say anything.

"They are friends of yours?" Blaise asked sarcasm dripping as he looked over at Susan.

Susan looked back at Terry and Hannah and couldn't help but feel sorry for them, "They were supposed to be."

Blaise shook his head and sneered back at Terry and Hannah, "You two are pathetic. First year Slytherins have more spine than the both of you put together." Blaise snorted and walked away towards the empty table Susan had pointed to earlier. Susan looked at Terry and Hannah who both sat dumb-founded. She glanced over at a nearby table where a few third year Hufflepuffs sat equally amazed. Not knowing what to say, Susan did the only thing she could and rejoined Blaise at their table.

Susan took her seat across from Blaise whispering to the Slytherin who seemed oblivious to all of the curious looks around them, "The whole school will hear about that before midnight."

Blaise glanced up at her, the sarcastic smile back on his face, "What? How a Slytherin intimidated a Ravenclaw and a Hufflepuff in the library? I would say that is old news Susan. I should have made them give up their table, but I thought you may want to be friends with them again at some point," Blaise dismissed it as if nothing had happened.

Susan decided to follow his lead, and neither said anything more for a time as they spread out their books and started on their homework. Susan managed to calm down but found herself considering Blaise. Why was he sitting with her? He defended her to Hannah and Terry, did he want to be friends? Would she survive it, if they did become friends? Laughing at her own foolish thoughts, she ignored it all and dove into her charms essay, finally making progress.

Meanwhile, Blaise was not so focused. He had stood up for Susan. What had possessed him to sit with her? Defending her to Boot and Abbot made things even between them, but what about the Hufflepuff made him want to be near her. She was pretty, but not stunning like Daphne. She was smart, but no Hermione Granger. She was a good Quidditch player, even if she supported the wrong team. She had the right connections, but it was something about her that made him want to earn her good opinion. It was sincerity, Blaise finally decided. In his world, that kind of honesty was a rare thing and he wanted it.

That decided Blaise went back to working on the mystery of the door, but found himself distracted by thoughts of Susan and the upcoming Quidditch game. Curious, he wanted to hear her thoughts on the outcome, "So, who will you be supporting in this weekend's Quidditch match?"

Susan cursed to herself, the essay is NEVER going to get finished, but looked up to respond, "I imagine I will be supporting Gryffindor. I told Hermione I would sit with her since most of her friends will be playing. Besides, I have more friends in Gryffindor than in Slytherin."

Blaise watched Susan for a moment as she concentrated on her essay. The question blurted out before he had a chance to stop himself, "Is that the only reason you will be supporting Gryffindor?" He winced mentally. She was supposed to be a friend—only. Why did he care why she supported them?

Susan looked up, confusion evident on her face, "Of course. What other reasons could I have for supporting Gryffindor?" the essay lay forgotten between them.

Blaise's face had an uncharacteristic hint of pink to it. He had to open his big mouth, now he would wonder unless he heard it all from her direct. Looking around to make sure he couldn't be overheard, when he answered quietly, "I was curious if there was any interest on your part, for either Potter or Weasley."

Susan's reaction was not what he had anticipated. She burst out laughing earning her an angry glare from Madame Pince, Blaise, and a number of nearby students. Properly chastened she whispered back, "Am I interested in Harry or Ron? Are you mental?"

Blaise sat upright looking rather disgruntled, unaccustomed to being laughed at. Retreat his brain screamed, "It was a reasonable question. It seems the entire female population of this school is obsessed with those two," he said stiffly.

Susan managed to stifle her laughter and didn't want to upset Blaise further, "I'm sorry. It's just that I have never thought about either of them that way."

Blaise relaxed, relieved at her response, but his curiosity got the better of him, "I thought every girl in school dreamed of the infamous Potter and Weasley?"

Susan's face took on a serious cast. She noticed several Gryffindors watching them closely and spoke louder, "No, the Ancient Egyptian symbol is the ank. Here, let me show you." Susan walked around the table and sat next to Blaise pretending to work on homework.

Blaise pushed a piece of paper in front of her and draped his arm along the back of her chair while he pointed to the sheet, "Susan, look the symbol is clearly Celtic in origin."

Susan nodded, refusing to turn and look at him. He was close to her again and she could smell a hint of his cologne. She fought her own embarrassment as she glanced at his smiling face. She wasn't about to blush and let Blaise know he had gotten the better of her. She picked up the paper and whispered, "Honestly, I think the world of them both. Objectively, I can say that Harry is quite fit, but neither one are my type. Harry broods too much for my taste, and Ron, well, Ron is just a bit much."

"How so?" asked Blaise unable to hide his curiosity he might as well get all of the information while he was asking. Even Daphne seemed obsessed with the two blokes, he thought. Another girl's perspective should be entertaining. He kept his arm along the back of her chair and looked at her closely. She wore little make up and he noticed a few freckles sprinkled across her nose. She seemed unsure of what to do, but wasn't cringing away from him either. Blaise liked that he could keep her off balance. He took a deep breath and caught the scent of something floral and cinnamon. Why did he notice the way she smelled?

Susan still refused to look at him when she replied, "Well, Ron can be a bit driven to prove himself. Of course, the only person he has to prove anything to is himself, but sometimes it makes him take risks."

Susan sighed, turned towards Blaise and smiled, "Honestly, I don't know how Hermione sleeps at night when she doesn't know where he is. I couldn't stand that kind of worry all the time. It's one thing to deal with danger that comes looking for you, but sometimes I think Ron goes looking for it."

Blaise looked her over carefully. How could he have thought that Daphne was more stunning? Susan's smile was definitely not second rate. "It sounds as if you disapprove of the way he acts."

Susan shook her head, "No, I don't. Ron is one of the best people I know and I trust him implicitly. It's just, I couldn't be in a relationship with someone like that."

"Is that the only thing that keeps you from being interested?" Blaise pressed, his voice catching just a bit at the end. She couldn't be in a relationship where she was worrying all of the time? While Blaise wasn't being actively pursued like Potter and Weasley, he knew he had many enemies in his own right. Did she want to be dating someone safe and boring like Boot?

Once again, Susan shook her head and looked around quickly, "Don't repeat this to anyone, but I don't find redheads very attractive. I can understand how Hermione can find him attractive, but, I don't see it myself."

Blaise nodded in understanding, glad of her response, the smile returning, "It's for the best anyway. Granger would tear you apart if you ever tried anything."

Susan chuckled, "Trust me, I know. I really believe that Hermione is the only person both Harry and Ron are afraid of."

"That makes sense though," Blaise agreed, "Plenty of Slytherins walk softly around Granger."

Susan was conscious of Blaise's arm still draped along the back of her chair and she found she kind of liked it there. She met Blaise's eyes for a moment and realized how close they were sitting. She turned back to the parchment he had handed her and actually read the paper. It was a list of a number of different spells to open a charmed door. Susan didn't recognize at least half of the spells on the list, "What is this?" she asked.

"Some research I am working on," Blaise waved it off taking the paper back from her.

Susan noticed a number of maps and thought she recognized the layout of the Hogwarts dungeons, but the frown on Blaise's face let her know that her curiosity would not be taken well.

He was a mystery to her. Blaise still kept one arm along the back of her chair, but he studied the parchment with some frustration. He was certainly handsome, no one could deny that. His dark blue eyes and dark hair were actually what Susan was attracted to in man. His mood swings disturbed her though. He was Blaise, scary Slytherin one instant, and Blaise, proud, smiling and approachable the next. He was never obviously nice, but his actions were all there. The thing with Luna, warning Hermione, and standing up for her to Terry and Hannah all spoke in his favor.

He had asked her a lot of personal information, and didn't seem inclined to offer any himself, and that she was not going to allow. If they were going to be friends, he would need to open up to her as well. Besides, Susan smiled to herself, it would be good to give him a little of his own medicine.

Susan leaned over slowly, not caring about who saw, and whispered in Blaise's ear, "So tell me, why aren't you and Daphne snogging like mad at every opportunity?" Susan smiled, watching the Slytherin closely.

Blaise looked surprised for an instant, but his sarcastic smile was there in spades when replied, "Who says we aren't?"

Undeterred, Susan cocked her head to the side and moved closer, nudging him with her shoulder. If he was going to ask her that type of question, she had every right to know about him, "Well, are you?"

Blaise smiled at Susan's aggressiveness, but waited a moment before answering. He wanted her to be clear that he was telling her the truth, "No, we aren't. Daphne and I are friends. Well, as much as Slytherins can be friends."

Susan's face clouded with confusion, "Why aren't you interested in her? She's beautiful, smart, and not shy from what I can see. You're always with her."

Blaised chuckled, "Let's just say, I like my women a bit softer than that. I can respect such fierceness in an ally, but it's a bit much in a love interest." Blaise's face turned serious, "I'd rather not date someone that I couldn't trust without a doubt," Blaise drawled watching her reaction closely. He was interested in Susan, and not just as a friend. The realization hit him hard. This may have been a bad idea after all. He needed to end this conversation quickly.

Susan pulled away from him annoyed. Did he think of her as weak? "So you like weak women then?"

Blaise fixed her with a glare, moving his arm away from her. "No, I do not like weak women. I would, however, prefer a love life that doesn't resemble a battlefield. Now perhaps we should return to our studies?"

Susan agreed and returned to her doomed Charms Essay, but spent her time studying the Slytherin across the table. He was a mystery that upset her rather calm life. His withdrawal surprised her, but she didn't feel bad for asking the same type of questions he had asked her.

She decided not to pin any hopes on the Slytherin. If he wanted friendship, she would be willing. If he wanted something more, it would be up to him to let her know. While trust was something she was easy with, Terry and Hannah's warnings still hung over her and Susan wasn't about to be burned. Ultimately though, she admitted to herself that she would secretly be cheering for at least one Slytherin to win on Saturday.

The warming charm had long since worn off this frigid Friday afternoon. The wind whipped around the quidditch hoops as Ron squinted his eyes in a vain attempt to see where the Gryffindor chasers were. Ron knew this was the last practice before the game tomorrow but he wished Harry would end it soon. Daylight was fading fast and the temperature was falling even faster. Ron pushed his robes out of his way and called out to Harry, "Don't you think it's about time to call it a day mate?"

Harry looked like he wanted to argue, but then he looked around at all the other miserable Gryffindors and nodded his head with a sigh. Gesturing to the ground Harry pointed his Firebolt downwards and started his landing decent. Thoughts of the fire in the common room helped Ron fight off the worsening chill as he locked up his broom in the broom shed and decided to wait to shower until he got back to the dormitory.

By the time he had made it to the portrait door he was chilled to the bone and wanted nothing more than to sit in front of the fire and get warm, so when he walked into the common room to find Hermione and Ginny waiting for him he wasn't as chuffed as he normally would be. As he walked he looked each girl over quickly, trying to figure out if he had managed to upset one of them and if so what he could do quickly to get out of trouble and into hot water.

"Have a seat Ron," Hermione said smiling at him.

Ron ran his hand through his hair, "I was just going to have a hot shower sine it's so bloody cold outside. How did you get cleaned up so quickly Ginny?"

Ginny looked at him for a second, "Don't you remember that you put my broom up for me?"

"Oh that's right," Ron said nodding, "I guess I was just so miserable I wasn't paying attention."

"Well come sit by me and warm up," Hermione said holding her hand out to him. Ron was still suspicious, but he didn't feel like getting mud all over his girl friend.

"I really need to shower Hermione. I'm pretty filthy right now."

Ginny looked confused for a second, "Oh you got nasty when you fell didn't you? It was pretty scary there for a second, but you got lucky."

Hermione shot Ginny a look and then turned back to Ron, "Ginny didn't tell me you fell during practice."

Ginny looked a bit sheepish, so Ron decided to bail her out, "She probably didn't mention it, because it wasn't a bit deal."

"It is a big deal when you fall off of your broom. Come to think of it, why did you fall off of your broom?" Hermione asked her eyes narrowing a bit.

Ron managed to not sigh before he started explaining, "A bludger got out of control and I didn't see it coming. It hit me in the left side and while it wasn't very hard I wasn't ready for it, so I slipped. The wind being the way it was today didn't help either."

"You got hit by a bludger, as well?" Hermione said standing and shooting Ginny another look.

Ron sighed, "I'm fine Hermione, I promise."

"I'll be the judge of that, now take off your robes," she ordered.

"Hermione I am fine, there is no need for you to inspect me," he complained.

Hermione looked up at his face "Maybe I want to inspect you. Now lose the robe and the tee shirt before I have to use the body binding curse on you."

"Fine, but are you really going to make me strip in the Common Room? Don't you think I have traumatized the first years enough?" Ron asked, hoping to get her to change her mind.

Hermione bit her lip and sighed, "Come on Ginny. Let's go make sure he didn't crack his head open while he was at it."

"Why do I want to see him strip? He's your boyfriend." Ginny asked.

Hermione shot her a look and Ginny stood up glaring at Ron, "Look what you are dragging me into."

The two girls followed Ron upstairs, to the empty boy's dormitory. His last hope for a reason to deter Hermione disappeared. He took off his muddy robes and tee shirt and stood there trying not to shiver.

Hermione's eyes got wide as soon as his shirt came off, "Oh Ron, you should have gone to the hospital wing."

Not understanding, Ron looked down at his side where Hermione was staring to find a large black and purple bruise swelling and already puffy. Knowing his dreams of a long hot shower had died in that moment he reached for his shirt. "Ok Hermione, I'll go to the hospital wing as soon as I get a shower."

"I could heal it, if you would rather not go to the hospital wing," Hermione said softly "Of course, I'll have to use some of the anti-swelling poultice on the bruise."

"That would be a lot better than going to the Hospital wing, thanks Hermione," Ron smiled and kissed her quickly. "May I please take a shower before you apply the poultice?"

"Oh, of course," Hermione smiled up at him.

Ron heard Ginny snicker "What is so funny Gin?"

"Oh nothing Ron, just get your shower and then get comfortable and we can all talk while Hermione fixes your boo boo," she grinned wildly.

"Oh shove off Ginny, it's not like she going to kiss it and make it better." he fumed.

"Oh I don't know Ron, I might do just that," Hermione smirked with a toss of her head and headed for the door with a self-satisfied expression.

Ron got a wicked gleam in his eye and called up to her as she walked away, "Well if that's the case, get a lot of that poultice because I've suddenly found a lot more bruises that need your attention."

Hermione didn't turn around but he knew she was embarrassed as she left the room.

"Go get your shower. I'm going to wait here and hope Harry comes back," Ginny waved him off and laid down on Harry's bed waiting.

Ron finished his shower and dressed in the bathroom as quickly as he could. His ribs were tender, so he decided to leave his shirt off. Ginny was fast asleep on Harry's bed when Ron returned and Ron decided to take a quick nap while he waited.

He felt someone shake his shoulder, but he refused to open his eyes. Hermione whispered, "Ron, this is going to be cold for a moment."

Before Ron could prepare himself for the sensation of the poultice Hermione had already started to spread it over his bruise. He bit down to keep from cursing as he woke with a start to the cold poultice as she rubbed it into his bruise.

He clenched his teeth from complaining while he waited for the poultice to grow warmer as Hermione continued her ministrations. He distracted himself by watching her work, taking in her dark brown curls, the smell of her, and the fact that they were alone, save for a sleeping Ginny in his dorm room. This of course caused a quick rise in his body temperature and he was certain that she could see how badly he was blushing. He closed his eyes and tried to return to sleep, the combination of the soothing heat of the poultice and the feel of Hermione's fingers started forcing him to relax and a wave of calmness rolled over him.

"Ron?" Hermione asked softly as he was drifting off to sleep again.

"Yes love?" he replied sleepily.

He opened her eyes as Hermione leaned over to whisper, "I was thinking that we should tell Ginny everything that's going on, don't you?"

He felt his eye lids becoming quite heavy as he tried to respond, he couldn't care less what Hermione wanted to tell Ginny. "Well, if you think so Hermione, I trust you," not really sure what he had agreed to.

Hermione leaned forward and kissed him lightly, "You just lay here and rest love. Ginny and I will go get you some food and I'll tell her as we walk."

Hermione got up from the bed and woke Ginny, "It worked."

"Great," Ginny smiled bright-eyed. "Start from the beginning and don't forget anything."

Hermione frowned for a minute, "I haven't asked Harry."

Ginny just smiled , "You and Ron out vote him. Besides, I'll break it to my wonderful, sweet boyfriend that he really needs to start treating me like I am trustworthy too."

By Saturday morning most of Ron's soreness from the previous day's practice had worn off and he met Harry and Ginny in the common room with a smile on his face.

"Ready to kick Slytherin all over the Quidditch field today?" he asked the two of them.

They both broke into wide grins, but Ginny couldn't help but tease him, "We'll all be fine as long as you stay on your broom."

Both she and Harry laughed and then Ron looked around the room, "Hermione not up yet?" he asked confused.

"She said she would meet us in the Great Hall," Harry told him. "She seemed like she had something important to do."

"Any idea what that is?" Ron asked.

Harry just shrugged, "No idea. Why don't we go eat breakfast and find out?"

The three of them were soon lost in conversation as they made their way down to the Great Hall discussing their various ideas on how the upcoming match would turn out. Strangely enough all three thought it would be a closer match than the rest of the school was predicting. They were so concerned with making sure they understood all the new plays, they didn't notice how quiet the students in the hall were. Motioning towards the ceiling discussing field positions, it was Ginny that finally pointed out the change with a gasp. Ron blinked and noticed that all the banners in the Great Hall had moving images of all of the Gryffindor Quidditch players on them. Then he saw the bushy brown hair standing under the larger than life imagine of him and he knew instantly who had changed all of the banners. He quickly walked over to her and leaned over whispering in her ear, "Why Miss Granger, I though prefects were supposed to set examples for all of the other students?"

Hermione looked up at him with a smirk, "Mr. Weasley, I have no idea what you are talking about. If I had been the one to change the banners I would have made the players much better looking. Harry and Ginny excepted," she added as Harry and Ginny joined them.

"That's a brilliant piece of magic Hermione," Harry remarked. "I just hope Snape doesn't find out who did it."

Ginny nodded enthusiastically, "He will go mental when he has a look at the giant Gryffindor Quidditch players while he eats his porridge."

Hermione smiled, but nodded back towards the door. "The three of you better hurry up and get some breakfast. You don't have much longer to get down to the Quidditch pitch."

"Yes Mum," Harry smirked, but sat down none the less.

"I'll wager she doesn't mother him like she does us," Ginny muttered to Harry, nodding her head at Ron and Hermione.

Before Ron could swallow his food to retort, Hermione surprised him by putting one arm around his waist and teasing right back, "Believe what you want, I know how to take care of Ron."

Ron tuned the girls out and looked over at the Slytherin table noticing many unhappy faces. The Slytherins were sitting together in tight groups, whispering, but few of them even glanced at the banners above them. They were all watching the doors to the Hall. Ron followed their line of site to see Susan and Blaise Zambini standing close together talking. When Ron looked back at the Slytherin table, he noticed half of the table seemed pleased or at least unconcerned with the pair, but the other half seemed angry.

Something about the whole scene worried him. That unusual split in the House and a number of rumors regarding odd Slytherin behavior since Susan's outburst in the library seemed to hint at unrest in the dungeons. Neither Daphne nor Blaise seemed affected by it, but Ron was afraid that something more than rumors would start.

Ron looked around the Hall once more and interrupted his sister, "We all need to be careful today. Things are getting a bit tense in the dungeons lately from what I hear since Susan's outburst."

"Didn't anyone tell you about Blaise? I guess Blaise and Susan were studying in the library together last night. Hannah and Terry were there and said something uncomplimentary about Susan where Blaise could hear. No one knows what Hannah said, but when Blaise asked them to repeat it, they didn't say anything. Blaise told them first year Slytherins had more courage and walked away from him and Susan ended up sitting with him. It was all over the Hufflepuff table this morning," Hermione added.

Ron frowned further looking back at Blaise and Susan as they continued. Ron couldn't tell what they were talking about, but it seemed rather important to both of them. An idea seemed floating around on the outside of his thoughts, until it became clear, "Now would be a good time for some of the Slytherins to make a 'statement' about what happens to those who oppose them."

"Do you think it's really gotten that bad for them?" Ginny asked looking at Harry.

"Look over there," Ron replied nodding towards the doors to the Great Hall. The four all looked over to where Susan and Blaise were standing whispering back and forth.

"Now look over there," Ron motioned with his hand to where Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were staring at Blaise with undisguised malice written all over their faces.

"That doesn't look like things are going well for Blaise does it? I thought Malfoy only looked at us that way," Harry remarked looking over the Slytherin table once more.

"No it doesn't. He and Susan had better be careful, or one of them is going to get hurt," Hermione added as Blaise and Susan seemed to reach some sort of resolution. Susan's smile returned and perhaps Ron was imagining that Blaise wasn't frowning as stern as usual.

A female voice answered Hermione, "Your concern is touching Granger but we Slytherins are known for being able to look out for ourselves."

Four Gryffindors turned as one to find Daphne standing just behind them, an unapologetic smile on her face, "I just wanted to wish you all good luck in today's match."

"I think it's Slytherin that is going to need the luck today Daphne." Ron smirked.

Daphne rolled her eyes, "Ahh, the vaunted Gryffindor humility I have grown to love."

"Well, we do our best you know," Ron quipped before lowering his voice, "You better tell Zambini over there to be a little less obvious though."

Daphne followed Ron's direction to Blaise and Susan as they finally split to go to their respective tables and then back to the Slytherin table. A number of Slytherins shared Malfoy's annoyance at Blaise's actions. Daphne grimaced, "Shite, he's not even paying attention. First the library, and now this. I don't care what he wants, he can't go around letting it out in the open like that. I swear, all of you boys go stupid when a girl is involved. I need to have a talk with him before he turns up dead."

Daphne began to walk away, but turned back with a shake of her head, looking down at Ginny and Hermione, "Look, I know neither or you like me much, and honestly, the feelings mutual. Blaise is a friend of mine, and I owe him. Talk to Susan. I have no issues with her and I would rather her not get dragged into what should be a House matter. If she's worth her salt, she won't listen to you, but make her listen."

Hermione nodded, "I'll talk to her during the game."

Daphne smiled looking over the four Gryffindors again, "Well, it will be entertaining."

Entertaining was not the word Hermione would use to describe the Quidditch game. She and Susan cheered for the Gryffindor team and it seemed that the teams were quite evenly matched. Ron had let in only two goals, both to Blaise, but Ginny had made the three goals for Gryffindor. Jack Sloper hit a bludger towards Blaise, that the Slytherin dodged at the last possible second. Susan's gasp at the near miss, convinced Hermione that it was time to speak to her friend.

"Was Blaise helpful with your Charms essay last night?" Hermione asked as the crowd died down.

"What?" Susan asked clapping as Ron blocked another goal.

"Was Blaise helpful with your Charms essay?" Hermione repeated herself.

Susan looked back at her and frowned, "No, actually, he wasn't."

Hermione looked Susan over and saw that she had her attention. Hermione shook her head, next time she would let Ginny handle this. "Susan, look, do you want to talk about it?"

Susan turned back to the game and watched the figures streaking about the sky, "I don't know what to say. I've talked to him a couple of times. We're friends, I think."

The Gryffindor stands erupted in cheers as Katie scored bring the score to Gryffindor 40 Slytherin 20. When the cheers dies down Hermione turned back to Susan, "Maybe it's not any of my business, but I think that he is interested in you. I don't think he knows how to show it, and I think he's more than a little unsure as to what you think of him."

Susan watched as Blaise attempted another shot on goal only to be blocked by Ron before turning back to the other girl, "Maybe Hermione, but it doesn't strike me as likely. He's worried about my feelings? I don't think that is it. Besides, who in the school is more confident than Blaise?"

Hermione snorted as Susan turned back to the game watching Blaise intercept the Quaffle, "Daphne Greengrass comes to mind but I don't think you were thinking along those lines."

Susan looked over at Hermione and erupted in laughter, "Hermione, I take it you aren't fond of Daphne? That's so unlike you."

Hermione shook her head, "No, it's not that really. I don't know her that well and suddenly it seems that she's everywhere I am lately." Hermione and Susan were distracted as Crabbe hit a bludger towards Ginny that grazed the end of her broom. The Gryffindors watched tense as Ginny recovered and caught the quaffle passed to her by Katie Bell. When Susan and Hermione sat down, Hermione continued, "Truthfully it was her idea for me to talk to you about this. She and honestly, the rest of us, are worried."

Susan's face went pale, "It was Daphne's idea? Would he have lied to me? No, I bet she's just trying to see if he is interested. Damn her, I knew she had to be interested in Blaise."

Hermione was taken aback by the fury in Susan's voice but found herself laughing anyway, "Right, you two are just friends. You think Daphne is interested in Blaise? It's possible, but somehow I doubt that."

"Why do you say that? If she's worried, then what else could it be? Wait, you're worried too?" Susan asked, some of the anger melting away from her expression.

The smile that had come with Hermione's laughter vanished just as quickly, "Susan, I like Blaise. He may not be the nicest guy at Hogwarts, but he's fair. It's just that this morning when you two were talking in the Great Hall a good number of angry Slytherins were watching you."

"Hermione, who cares what a bunch of Slytherins think? We were talking. He wanted to make sure that Terry and Hannah hadn't bothered me anymore and then we talked about today's game. It was a conversation I would have had with any number of people."

Susan replied before turning back to the game in time to exclaim, "Ron! Watch out!" Hermione turned in time to see Crabbe and Goyle hit the bludgers towards Ron as Blaise made for the outer hoop. Ron dodged both of them, but missed Blaise's throw. The score was 40-30, Gryffindor in the lead.

"Susan," Hermione watched Ron swing his fist in frustration as the Quaffle was brought back into play. Susan watched the game while listening. Hermione tugged the girls arm, "Susan. This is important."

Susan tore her eyes away from the game before her, "Ok, Ok, I'm listening."

"Susan, it's not just people gossiping. These are Slytherins. They won't leave it at just that. They could come after you or Blaise. I know you can take after yourself, but just think what Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle would do to you if they caught you alone," Hermione pressed.

Susan looked at Hermione a minute, "I don't care. There isn't anything going on with Blaise and I, and even if there was, I am not going to let Malfoy dictate anything about my happiness or those of my friends. You, of all people, should know that especially with your friendship with Harry and Ron."

Hermione shook her head, "I know. I know. I wouldn't be a very good friend if I didn't at least warn you. Daphne said you wouldn't be worth your salt if you did listen to me, and she's probably right. She's going to talk to Blaise, though."

Susan frowned watching the game for a moment, "Are you sure she isn't after him? Maybe she thinks I am not good enough to be with him? What if he does listen to her? What am I saying? Ignore all of that."

Hermione smiled at her friend, "Susan, Blaise would be lucky to be dating you no matter what. If he's smart, he'll realize that you are worth it too. To answer your question about Daphne, from my point of view she has her beady little eyes set on Ron."

Now it was Susan's turn to laugh which was interrupted by her exclaiming "Watch out Blaise!" Susan blushed a bit at the angry glances around her as she turned her attention back to Hermione. "Those beaters of Gryffindor are a bit aggressive, aren't they?"

The protective tone in Susan's voice was evident to Hermione and anyone else who might have been standing close by, "I think you give them too much credit Susan. They aren't so much aggressive as just plain bad."

"Bad can still be lucky. Now, why do you think Daphne is after Ron and not after Blaise?" Susan said putting her hand on Hermione's arm.

Hermione took a good twenty minutes to explain her feeling on the subject. In that time, Gryffindor scored twice and Slytherin once much to Ron's chagrin. Susan thought she could see Ron swearing as the Quaffle was put back into play, but said nothing knowing how much Hermione disliked it when Ron swore. Susan listened as best she could. Fortunately, Hermione seemed to be used to people being distracted by Quidditch and as such was incredibly patient.

"Hermione, I can't possibly claim to know anything about Daphne, but I can promise to watch her for you. When it comes down to it, Ron loves you and no matter what Daphne would do, it wouldn't matter because his heart is with you. If anything, Daphne is just jealous. Honestly, just about every girl in school is jealous. Not because of Ron, but just because of how happy you two are together," Susan replied.

The game continued in front of them as the two girls sat silent for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts as they watched two separate players on the field.

Susan finally managed to ask, "You are certain Daphne isn't interested in Blaise? I still don't like that she is going to tell him to stay away from me."

"No I don't Susan," Hermione replied. "Honestly, if they were interested in each other then they would already be with each other. In fact, it would be a lot easier on both of them if they were interested in each other, but I just don't think they are."

Susan smiled, "You don't know how much I needed to hear that Hermione. Now if I can just break through that façade Blaise walks around wearing. I swear, he's two different people half of the time."

Hermione nodded sympathetically, "That may take some patience though. You are just going to have to take what he is ready to give."

"I understand you have some practice in that regard." Susan teased.

Hermione laughed "Yes I do, years worth in fact. I can say though, that now I have what I wanted, it was absolutely worth it."

"Well, no offense, but I hope I don't have to wait quite that long," Susan remarked her eyes following Blaise as he made another pass with the Quaffle that was intercepted by Ginny.

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but right at that moment Ginny made a behind the back pass that caused the crowd to cheer, and Katie tossed it into the left ring as the totally fooled Slytherin Keeper kicked at the air in vain.

"Ginny has gotten really good lately hasn't she?" Susan smiled clapping in the stands.

Hermione nodded, "She practices pretty hard. I think she feels like she has something to prove with four older brothers who played Quidditch here."

Susan had seen the pressure Ron put himself under trying to live up to his older brothers, so she could only imagine what all Ginny thought.

Suddenly the crowd surged to their feet with both Hermione and Susan jumping up a moment later. It was easy to see why, both Harry and Malfoy had put their brooms into steep nose dives and even the spectators could se the Snitch flitting about the base of the Slytherin hoops. It seemed like the entire pitch was holding their breath as both Seekers wove their way in and out of the Hoop stands. Then almost as quickly as it started it was over, Harry had managed to catch the snitch right before both he and Malfoy collided with each other. A huge roar arose from the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw stands as they started to pour on to the pitch.

As she and Susan made their way down the stairs Hermione saw Ron suddenly go into a dive as he flew towards where Harry had landed. Hermione grabbed Susan as they raced back towards the edge of the stands to see Ron transform so that he landed in front of Harry on all fours. He quickly turned and roared at the three figures who seemed to be approaching where Harry sat, looking a bit stunned. The remainder of the two Quidditch teams flew down to join them. "We have to get down there!" Hermione said grabbing Susan and racing along the top of the stands. Hermione tried to push through the crowd with Susan at her heels to get to Harry and Ron, but the press was too thick.

By the time Hermione and Susan were able to push through to Harry, McGonagall and Snape were there having a loud row about something with half of the stadium looking on. Susan and Hermione burst through the crowd to find Ginny with Harry on the ground, as Ron paced in front of them. Daphne, Blaise, and a number of Slytherins stood nearby and no one seemed happy. Hermione knelt to examine Harry whom appeared to have been hit with some sort of curse. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle stood nearby. Goyle was holding his arm, which had a good bit of blood running down it from several large claw marks. Ron was still in his shapeshifter form, growling as he guarded Harry. It was only then, when Hermione knew they were both fine.

Hermione turned to Susan when she noticed how pale the Hufflepuff was and realized that she needed to pay attention to the loud argument behind her.

"I don't care what his provocation was Minerva, you cannot let that _animal_ go around attacking people," Snape snarled.

"Mr. Weasley is not an animal Severus, and I will thank you to keep your prejudices to yourself. Mr. Weasley only responded to the attack on Mr. Potter by YOUR house members and as much as he should have let the staff handle it, I can well understand his reasons for doing what he did."

Professor Snape's sneer twisted his face in anger "I suppose since he was defending the _Great Harry Potter_ he won't be punished as he should be?"

Professor McGonagall's face went white, "Mr. Weasley will be punished according to his transgression. I very much doubt that the same can be said for your charges. There is only one Professor at Hogwarts so twisted by hate from years past that he cannot treat students equally and it isn't me," she replied coldly.

Professor McGonagall turned to face the crowd, "Everyone back to your common room, no exceptions. Miss Granger, Miss Weasley, please take Mr. Potter to the hospital wing. Mr. Weasley, come with me."

With that she stormed off, Ron following behind her.

As Ron made his way down to breakfast all he could do is wonder how something could go so wrong as the Quidditch match did yesterday. McGonagall was so mad she had given him his detention on the field in front of the school. Spending the next ten hours cleaning the locker room by hand was not how he would have spent the rest of the evening. By the time he was finished all he felt like doing was going to bed and sleeping. All thoughts of celebration lost as Harry was still in the hospital wing.

Ron slept fitfully that night, visions of Malfoy attacking Harry repeating over and over in his mind. By the time he awoke it was late, and now he only hoped that he made it in time to eat breakfast.

The common room was empty as he headed towards the Great Hall. Ginny was probably with Harry in the Hospital wing. He only hoped Hermione had waited for him at breakfast.

When Ron walked through the doors to the Great Hall, it seemed like every head turned to look at him. Ron froze with surprise registering fear, anger, compassion, and hate from everyone, including the Professors, in the room. Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, Neville, Luna, and Susan approached him.

"Ron, ignore them," Susan whispered. "No matter what, don't give those horrible bigots the satisfaction."

"Susan, what's going on?" Ron asked as he followed them back to the table. He barely registered that Susan and Neville both had their hands openly on their wands as they watched the crowd.

Luna smiled up at the confused red head and mussed his hair, "People fear what they don't understand. It's so silly really, they just don't know how to look."

Ron's confusion grew as he sat down between Hermione and Susan. Neville and Luna joined him on the other side.

Ron looked over at Hermione and whispered, "Alright love?"

She smiled up at him, her eyes troubled, "I have something I need to show you."

Ron looked over to find the Daily Prophet laying on the table before her. Still no one spoke as they watched him. He looked at Neville, Seamus, and Dean who all seemed angry at the paper. Susan, Luna, and Hermione were worried. Ron slid the paper out from under Hermione's hands and moved it in front of him. It seemed as if the entire room took one large collective breath at the sound of the paper. Hermione turned the paper over to show him the front page, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

"Hogwarts Animal Boy Attacks Student"

A wild cackle filled the room grating on Ron's nerves as he tried to take in what he saw, it took Ron a full minute before he realized the laughter was coming from himself.


	70. Rescue

Chapter 70

Ron stopped laughing and looked down at the photo of himself, managing to read the first few sentences:

"Sources have reported that Ronald Weasley, youngest son of Arthur and Molly Weasley, is a shapeshifter. At the end of a friendly Quidditch game between two opposing houses, Mr. Weasley's best friend, the Boy Who Lived, fell off of his broom. A student from the opposing team offered to help him to his feet when Mr. Weasley flew on the scene and turned into a large lion. He attempted to bite the student and mangled the arm of another nearby."

Ron skimmed the rest of the article that ended with, "It amazes this reporter that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would allow such an animal to roam free in its Halls as a danger to its fellow students. This paper would like to request the Ministry take immediate and effective action to ensure that this menace is contained as example."

Ron set the paper down and looked at his friends, no one said a word.

Susan broke the silence whispering, "My Aunt sent me an owl this morning. She's been getting letters from a number of angry parents, but she said that this is an internal matter for the school and that the Ministry would not be interfering."

Ron looked up, her words had little meaning, his shock turning to anger, "Do any of you believe this rubbish?"

"No, of course not," Hermione answered for the rest of them touching his shoulder.

Ron looked over at her, but her words seemed hollow to him, "Right."

Ron felt the waves of tension, anger, and confusion from the students around him. Even his own friends were worried that he may turn into a horrible monster. He rose from the bench and walked towards the doors without another word. He could hear Hermione's footsteps following his own out of the Hall.

"Ron you have got to calm down," Hermione spoke up once they were alone in the entrance hall.

Ron whirled around to face her and sneered, "You better be careful Hermione. You never know when I'm going to go barmy and attack you. I AM an animal after all."

Hermione struggled to catch her breath and speak at the same time, "You… know…that's…not true Ron. You were just trying to protect Harry. We all know that."

"Well then, tell everybody in the Great Hall that. I could _smell _the fear Hermione, some of them were about to cry. Even those people that are supposed to be my friends were worried," he snarled pacing around the hall.

"Your friends are worried about you Ron, not being eaten," Hermione replied reaching out and stopping him, running her hand down his jaw line, "The rest of the school, they don't understand. Most of them are on your side. It wouldn't surprise me if they end up giving you a medal for driving off Malfoy's goons."

Ron pulled her hand away gently, "Somehow I don't reckon that's going to happen Hermione." Ron looked down at her for a moment, and kissed the palm of her hand, "Hermione, I have to get away for a bit, or I'm going to explode. I'll be back by dinner I promise."

"Ron, what about the Slytherins?" Hermione asked.

"You can handle that. They really only wanted you anyway," Ron spoke up walking away from her.

Hermione opened her mouth to object, but Ron managed to transform before she could voice her concerns. She watched him speed off towards the forest for a moment, her heart breaking, before setting off for Professor McGonagall's office.

_I need to get someone to follow him, just in case he needs help._

Ron let his rage take control as he raced through the forest. Myriad smells assaulted him and he was tempted several times to strike off after a particular scent. Stopping for a moment, he lifted his head to sniff the wind and caught the scent of blood on the air. Another time Ron would have realized the need to be cautious, but now his anger forced him towards the smell. It was an easy trail to follow and after a half of a mile or so Ron emerged in a large clearing where the scent ended. Just before the northern edge of the clearing gave way to forest, he found a centaur's body surrounded by a pool of blood.

Ron approached the body sniffing cautiously. It didn't take long to determine the centaur hadn't been long dead. There was a scent mixed in with the blood that caused to Ron to flatten his ears and sweep his eyes across the forest edge. He growled low in his throat in warning. Then he saw several shapes move out from the cover of the forest.

_Ron recognized the beasts from his Care of Magical Creatures Class. The Darken Wolves were at least as big as him with large, sharp teeth. The size and their red eyes were how you recognized the difference. Ron knew he was in trouble, but his blood sang with the danger, his anger fueling him on. _

Ron let loose a roar of challenge hoping to make the Darken Wolves back off. The roar seemed to shake the trees from the noise, and the wolves backed away, circling in front of him. He felt their worry, but it quickly disappeared as he caught the scent of two or three coming up behind him.

Ron knew the Darken Wolves would attack as a pack and try to wear him down. Every time he would turn to face one of them, another would attack from behind and try to take out his back legs. Once they managed to take out his rear legs, he would be all but helpless. There was only one thing to do.

Ron whirled on the ones approaching from behind, and charged them. The three Darken Wolves scattered, but one reacted too slowly and Ron lashed out with his paw. The Darken Wolf yelped in pain as Ron dug his claws in the wolves flank. The wolf slunk away from him as he turned and leapt over the two nearby Wolves. As soon as he landed he whipped around to face all six of the Wolves still in the fight. For the moment the Wolves couldn't get to his vulnerable flanks and with them in front of him he could take advantage of his powerful front claws. All of these thoughts passed through his mind in the blink of an eye and then he reacted.

One of the Darken Wolves had crept in too close and Ron clawed the side of its head, throwing it to the ground and snapping its neck. The remaining Wolves had used the distraction to once again attempt to circle Ron, moving through the forest undergrowth. Ron fought to keep them back, but one wolf was able to sneak up from behind and sank its teeth into his right leg.

He knew the Wolves would expect him to turn towards the Wolf that bit him, so instead he shook his leg free and lunged forward. As expected, the Wolves in front of him lunged at the same time. Ron managed to catch the one of them in his jaws and tore its neck out with one shake of his head. Once again the Wolf to his rear managed to get his teeth into Ron's flank. Ron gathered his legs again and leapt over the Wolves in front. As they turned to bite him, he kicked back with his hind legs and caught a fourth, gouging deep furrows into its side. Ron felt confident he could handle the three remaining wolves when he felt his right rear leg collapse.

_Bugger, they must have done more damage than I thought. Think Weasley or you will be eaten alive._

The idea of being eaten alive chilled Ron to the very core and he tried to slowly back away to no avail. He took a couple of swipes at the Wolves but they scampered just out of reach. Ron tried to lunge at the Wolf on his left, but was not able to get any push from his legs as he just missed catching it with his muzzle. The other two Wolves saw him come up short and one caught his left front leg in its teeth.

He tried desperately to break free but it held on tightly. With a howl of pain, he felt the leg break and swiped at them with the right front leg in vain. Ron found he could no longer stand or even sit up. The best he could manage was to roll up on his belly a bit and try to fight back with one leg. One of the Wolves darted in and sank its teeth into the back of his neck. The pain shook Ron and the burst of energy let him shake free and swipe at the wolf. His paw landed heavily, and the wolf yelped and backed away. Ron knew he was losing a lot of blood. The weakness seemed to be spreading throughout his body now.

The two remaining Darken Wolves moved towards him confidently. Ron's vision was starting to dim and he hoped that being eaten wouldn't hurt too much. He caught a scent of something familiar as he thought the Wolves were about to make their final strike. He felt a gust of wind and the wolves backed away from him growling as two pairs of feet appeared in front of him.

A deep voice shouted something and one of the wolves flew back against a tree with a sickening thud. In addition to the seven that attacked Ron, he saw a dozen more enter the clearing, their howls filling the morning air. Ron fought to remain conscious until he recognized the scent of his Pride. They were with him, holding the wolves at bay. A woman's voice spoke and an amber shield appeared in front of him. At the same time, he felt familiar hands moving through his fur. He fought to remain conscious before his vision finally failed and he swore he heard someone speak his name.

Ron could see the light even before he opened his eyes. He flinched a bit from the glare and his neck felt as if it was on fire.

Ron became aware that he was back in human form and the smells around him let him know he was back in the castle. Someone sat near him that he could not place, "Ahh Mr. Weasley, it's good to see you awake."

Ron opened his eyes and tried to turn his head to the right where the distinctive voice of Professor Albus Dumbledore seemed to have come from. "Professor?" he asked ceasing any attempt to turn his head as a sharp pain rolled through his neck.

"Try to remain still Mr. Weasley. Your injuries are much less severe than we first feared, yet I believe that it will be just a bit longer before you can move your neck freely. A lion's mane is quite a handy thing to have," Dumbledore said with a slight smile, as he moved so that Ron could see him with his good eye.

"How long have I been out?" Ron asked noticing his legs and arms also sore. His memories of the fight in the Forest becoming clearer and with them his own worry returned.

"Just a few hours. That is why you are still very sore," Dumbledore smoothed the blankets around Ron. "Your broken leg has been mended and the worst of the cuts. For one lion against seven Darken Wolves that was quite a feat."

Ron chuckled, and winced from the movement, "If by feat you mean really stupid thing to do, then yes, it was quite a feat."

Professor Dumbledore chuckled, "We all come by wisdom in different ways Ronald. Let us be glad that none of you paid a higher price for your actions. However understandable they might be."

"I take it you talked to Hermione about what happened?" Ron asked sheepishly. He didn't like worrying her, and he knew she would have a long discussion with him regarding his latest act of recklessness.

"I dare say Miss Granger did most of the talking, but to answer your question we have indeed spoken about what happened." Dumbledore sighed and his smile disappeared, "I know you must be angry about the Daily Prophet article. It was definitely an unfortunate response. Never fear, there will be repercussions for many people. Your parents and I believe all of your brothers have sent letters that your sister has waiting for you. The important thing to realize is that it will be forgotten soon enough. You should know by now that you have many friends here Ronald."

"Friends? What friends? Professor, I could smell their fear in the Great Hall. People I thought that were my friends. I was there Professor, I _know_ how they all felt," Ron sighed holding up his hands to look at them.

"No Ronald, you know how they felt right at that moment. You don't know how they feel now that they have had time to think about it," Dumbledore paused and took in the disbelieving look on Ron's face. "Many of them will undoubtedly be uncomfortable around you for a short time. A few may never be entirely comfortable around you, but those who were your friends, remain so. In fact, it took a great deal of effort to keep several of them out of here, not the least of them being the redoubtable Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley and Miss Granger."

"Why did they need to be kept out Professor?" Ron asked still just a bit confused. "We were allowed to visit one of another before."

"Well, by the time Miss Bones and Mr. Longbottom had helped Bane get rid of the rest of the Darken Wolf pack, you had lost a great deal of blood. Miss Bones had packed Blood Replenishment tablets with her and was able to administer them early enough. They take time though, and until they had done their work, you looked much worse than you were. Madame Pomfrey and I decided that the best course of action was to keep the other students from seeing you until you looked a bit better, to keep them from worrying."

"Were Susan and Neville alright? How did they know where to find me?" Ron asked surprised.

"Miss Granger asked them to follow you, discreetly. They were tracking you through the Forbidden Forest, when they found Bane who was tracking the wolf pack, thus leading them to you. They are fine, just a few cuts and bruises that were treated. Unfortunately for them, humans heal quite slowly from Darken Wolf wounds. Because of you're, shall we say state, during the attack, you were fortunate and should be up on your feet quite soon."

"Well, I hope it all helped keep Hermione from fretting," Ron said trying to move his neck around a bit more.

Dumbledore gave a great laugh, "I believe there is nothing on this earth that could keep Miss Granger from fretting when your well being is in doubt. Do you feel well enough for visitors?"

Ron smiled, seeing Hermione and apologizing to her and everyone else for his behavior this morning, was a priority. Professor Dumbledore encouraged him to find wisdom from his actions. In truth, Ron realized one key thing that he had missed this morning and that he needed to encourage even further—trust.

Ron nodded to Professor Dumbledore, and watched as the older man rose to his feet, "Well then, I will send word to Gryffindor Tower that you can have visitors. I expect that Miss Granger, Miss Weasley and Mr. Potter will be quite relieved to hear that."

"Professor, can you also let Susan, Neville, Luna, Daphne and Blaise that I need to see them as well?" Ron asked softly.

Dumbledore gave him an appraising look, "Very well, Mr. Weasley, that is quite an interesting group. I will see to it, but I can all ready tell you that Madame Pomfrey will not be happy."

Ron smiled, "Tell her, if she will let them all come to see me, I will promise to do exactly what she asks without one word of complaint until she releases me."

Dumbledore laughed, "For that, she may be more flexible." Dumbledore paused for a moment, looking down at the youth. "Ronald, just so you know, I am very proud of you and Miss Granger, as well as Harry. I know it must seem that I spend every waking moment thinking about Harry, but I often find the two of you in my thoughts as well. Oh I think if you are careful, you can make dinner tonight in the Great Hall. The Treacle Tart is supposed to be quite tasty tonight."

Ron's thoughts turned inward as soon as Dumbledore left the Hospital Wing. His mind raced with things that needed to be done and how they were going to get that way. This was the worst possible time to get injured. The Cauldron, the constant threat of Voldemort and his minions, the Quidditch final, the rumors coming from the dungeons, and all of his extra training weighed on him. He could feel himself starting to tense when he heard Daphne and Blaise walk through the door and walk into his view.

The Slytherins looked at him closely for a minute before Blaise exclaimed, "Gods Weasley, you look like utter shite."

Ron shook his head and winced, "Thanks loads Blaise," Ron replied sarcastically.

Daphne frowned with worry and reached out to push Ron's hair out of his eyes, "Are you alright?"

"I'm tired and sore as hell, but other than that I'm just fine," Ron smiled up at her.

Blaise looked from one to another, "We got a message you wanted to see us. Where's everyone else?" Blaise asked pulling up a chair and sitting smoothly.

Ron sat up, wincing at the sudden pain, and then reached out and took a drink from the stand beside his bed, "They are coming. I'm glad you two arrived first. I wanted to talk to you alone. I need you to do something for me."

"We'll do whatever you need Ron," Daphne replied uncharacteristically straight forward.

Both Blaise and Ron looked at her shocked, and then Ron started speaking again, "First, Daphne, I need you to stop going at it with Hermione. I need you two working together. You are the smartest students in the school and I don't need you fighting with each other."

"Maybe we just don't like each other," Daphne said with a frown.

"Bollocks," Ron answered with a slight smile. Blaise sat up quickly doing a poor job of disguising his laughter as a cough, "You two are the two most competitive witches in Hogwarts. You are in so much competition that you flirt with me just to make her jumpy."

"Maybe I flirt with you because I like you," she countered quietly, touching Ron's hand.

Ron shook his head moving his arm away from her, "No you don't, and we both know it. Daphne, you are quite beautiful, and you know it. Maybe you think you feel something for me, but in the end, you're just my friend and a good one. Besides, I know which Gryffindor you look at when you think no one is paying attention and it certainly isn't me, Harry, or Neville."

Blaise sat up even straighter and looked at Daphne curiously. Daphne to his utter shock was blushing for the first time in his memory. He found it quite disturbing and an interesting piece of information to save for later.

Daphne recovered quickly, looking at Blaise's amused face with a shake of her head, "Anyway, wasn't there something else you wanted from us?" Daphne asked brusquely.

Ron nodded, "There are a lot of things going on around here that are important, and my getting hurt has not helped get them done. Look, I know things are starting to get bad in the Dungeons." He paused as Daphne and Blaise exchanged a look, neither Slytherin was laughing. "I know you two think of it as an inner-House problem, but I think Blaise is beginning to realize that it may affect people in other houses as well."

Blaise frowned looking from Daphne to Ron, Ron continued, "I'm not going to say anything other than I believe you are showing good taste. However, Harry, Neville, and I will end you if you hurt her. Beyond that, we'll talk about the dungeons more when everyone else is here."

Blaise frowned. After Daphne had pulled him aside and warned him about the Hufflepuff, Blaise had decided to forget about the girl. Weasley's little comment further proved that he needed to stay away from her. Ron continued, "Secondly, you need help getting past that door Daphne told us about. Finding the entrance to the foundation will go faster if we can organize more people to help you look."

"Perhaps," Blaise replied crossing his arms, it was all the more he was willing to concede.

"Daphne, Blaise, there's one other thing. A number of the girls are acting a bit odd, Hermione and Ginny are included. I'm not even sure that Susan isn't involved in one way or another, but I want to know what they are up to," Ron finished.

Blaise and Daphne looked at each other a moment as if they were making a decision.

Blaise's frown turned back into the sarcastic smile, "So, what do you plan on doing?" he drawled.

Ron opened his mouth when Luna and Susan opened the door. He glanced at them quickly and then continued quietly to Blaise, "I plan on making us all trust each other a bit more. If we don't, we aren't going to make it out of this alive."

Susan and Luna seemed surprised to find Daphne and Blaise sitting at Ron's bedside, but neither said anything as they approached. Ron caught site of the bandage on Susan's arm and a slight limp to her step as she crossed the room.

"Ronald, did you find anything interesting out in the forest? It must be wonderful to run on four legs for a change," Luna smiled at him hugging him gently. "Daphne, Blaise, it is nice to see you," she smiled serenely at them. "Oh, Ronald, please don't do that too often. My poor Neville hates to worry about you," Luna smiled at Ron again as she took a seat on one of the nearby beds.

"I owe you an apology," Ron said looking at Susan's bandages.

"For what? These silly things? You didn't bite me," Susan asked holding up her arm. "I'm just glad that we found you in time. I would have hated to tell Hermione if we hadn't."

Ron pulled Susan into a hug, "That was a brave thing you and Neville did Susan. Don't let anyone tell you different."

Susan hugged him back from a minute and then pulled away, Ron looked at the girl in all seriousness, "I won't forget it either."

Susan smiled and blushed, flashing a glance at Blaise and Daphne before looking back at Ron, "Look, we're friends, OK?"

Ron released her, "Absolutely."

Blaise rose to his feet, "Here," he pushed his chair towards Susan. Weasley holding Susan annoyed him. Why couldn't he have said thanks from a safe distance, like across the room? Besides, the daft girl had wandered into the Forbidden Forest with Longbottom as her only companion, fought off a pack of wolves, saved Weasley, and walked away with a few scratches? Someone needed to examine her head.

Susan, Daphne and Ron all looked at the Slytherin in astonishment. Blaise shrugged at Susan, and waved towards the chair "You look tired."

"I could use a seat," Daphne added sitting next to Luna.

"You weren't fighting Darken Wolves in the Forbidden Forest today. I think you can find your own seat," Blaise snapped back at her. Blaise glared at Daphne for a moment. It was easier to be angry at her rather than analyzing his relief, worry, dread, and … and attraction to the blond girl seated next to him. A moment of annoyance with Weasley had made him jealous. Blaise tolerated few mistakes, and none from himself. He wouldn't be made a fool over a Hufflepuff. He needed to make it clear to her that they should not be friends.

"Now, if you don't mind," Susan interrupted the two Slytherins, completely oblivious to the source of the conflict, "Can we talk about why we are all meeting in the hospital wing?"

"In just a moment Susan, any minute I expect a brown haired whirlwind to disrupt our conversation," Ron chuckled, imagining Hermione sweeping into the room.

"I must admit I'm surprised Granger isn't here yet," Daphne added turning back towards the door.

"Gryffindor tower is probably really busy right now Daphne," Ron noted keeping his eyes on the door.

"Well, since we are waiting for a bit, I wanted to say that was a well-played match Weasley," Blaise offered, smiling slightly.

"The same could be said for you Blaise. You had me fooled on several shots," Ron responded looking back to Blaise.

Blaise looked like he wanted to reply, but before he could voice his opinion the door to the Hospital wing opened up and Hermione raced up to Ron's bed flinging herself on top of him. Ron wrapped his arms around her, as pain raced down his neck and he struggled not to let her know how much it hurt. She squeezed again before pulling away to look at his face, he could see anger flashing in her eyes as well as worry, fear and trepidation.

"Do you think it's possible for you to keep your body in one piece?" Hermione demanded.

Ron opened his mouth to respond when he saw Harry and Ginny standing behind her. Harry shook his head imperceptibly. Trusting his friend's judgment, he closed his mouth and let Hermione blow off some steam.

"Damn it Ron, are you determined to leave me alone? Do you know how I felt when I saw them bring you in here? Then Dumbledore wouldn't let us in to see you and I didn't know why. When we overheard Dumbledore telling McGonagall that there would be no visitors because you looked so bad, I thought I was going to fall apart," Hermione had both of her hands wrapped around his shirt and was staring into his eyes,

"Don't make me do something drastic Ron." Hermione said softly into his chest.

"Hermione if you're talking about leaving me, it's not funny," Ron said holding her tighter.

Hermione leaned back a bit so she could see his face, "It's too late for that Ron, I couldn't leave you for anything." her face seemed to grow more somber, "I mean it Ron, don't make me do something drastic to keep you safe."

Ron wasn't used to Hermione talking like this and was unsure as to how to respond. So instead of saying anything, he leaned forward and softly kissed her until he felt her body relax and her hands unwind from his shirt.

They stayed that way for a short time until they heard someone clear their throat. When they took a bit too long to turn away from each other Ginny's voice taunted them, 'If you don't mind Hermione I would like to give my barmy big brother hug."

Hermione sat up and noticed the smiles on the faces of their friends and blushed a deep red.

"Perhaps you two could take care of your bonding time after we have the meeting?" Blaise added with his usual sarcastic smile.

Hermione moved as if to get off Ron's hospital bed, but he reached out and pulled her back to him, "No reason you can't be comfortable while we talk, love."

Hermione beamed back at him and she turned and smiled at all of their friends. Ron was glad to see that Daphne was smiling right back at Hermione.

"The whole family wrote to tell you to ignore the paper," Ginny said hugging Ron for a moment. "I'm glad you are back safe, even if you are a rather large git."

"Nice to see you too," Ron smiled.

"You've looked better," Harry added, his hand on Ginny's shoulder.

"So have you," Ron countered noticing how pale his best mate was.

"Look, can we agree to stay out of here for the rest of the term?" Harry asked as he and Ginny sat on the free bed.

"I can. Ron, next time, will you pick an animal that isn't resistant to healing potions?" Neville's voice answered Harry.

Neville came limping into view, a crutch under one arm, "Glad to see you awake mate," he added thumping Ron on the shoulder.

"Look, Neville, I am sorry. That was a really brave thing you did," Ron spoke offering the shy Gryffindor his hand.

"We take care of our own," Neville responded shaking Ron's hand.

"Look, I don't forget faithfulness in my friends. I owe you both," Ron finished looking from Neville over to Susan.

Neville took a seat between Daphne and Luna to Ron's right. Ron laughed at his own foolishness for forgetting that he had such amazing friends, "Now that we are all here and the important business is taken care, we have some things that need to be discussed."

Ron paused for a moment then took a chance, "To start off with, why don't Blaise and Daphne fill us in on what is really happening regarding the rumors of Slytherins fighting with each other?"

Blaise visibly stiffened but Daphne reached over and put her hand on his arm to restrain him, "It's OK. It was going to come out soon enough, Blaise."

Blaise ran an angry hand through his hair, the gesture alone showing a surprising amount of emotion for the calm, sarcastic Slytherin, "For the past month things have been tense between the members of Slytherin house who support Malfoy and his kind and those who don't want to get caught up in You Know Who's war. You could say Daphne and I saw this coming and have been slowly cultivating people into our way of thinking. Over the last week, it's gotten worse. I think Malfoy is becoming suspicious of us and is becoming desperate to recruit as many people as he can. Daphne and I found a couple of the younger Slytherins had been hexed by Malfoy's goons for not joining up with them. Malfoy had gone too far. That was when we started setting our plan in motion. Unfortunately, the upshot of all of this is that pretty soon it's going to get bad in the dungeons and Malfoy knows we are behind it."

"Well, you know you can count on us," Ron and Harry said the exact same thing a moment later.

Daphne and Blaise both looked a bit embarrassed at the announcement, "The thing is Ron that having you, Harry or Hermione help would do more harm than good."

Harry scowled and Hermione looked like she wanted to retort when Blaise interrupted, "We need you Gryffindor's to understand, we like you and more importantly we think we can trust you. That said though, a lot of Slytherins think of you three as the reason Slytherin hasn't won the House or Quidditch cup in the past six years. The Slytherins don't want to be part of Malfoy's gang, but they aren't ready to join the 'good guys' yet."

Hermione nodded, "That does make sense I guess."

Daphne smiled in relief looking at Harry's angry expression, "Look, think of it this way. The more Slytherins we can convince to do nothing, rather than join with the Deatheaters, the better off everyone is. Who knows, some of them, like us, may even be willing to help eventually. In the mean time, there is something you can do though. Several of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs might help us, if they think you believe it's a good idea."

Both Susan's and Luna's head jerked up sharply at that. Susan looked as if she was struggling to not to say something when Luna stood up.

"I don't know much about how Slytherins do things, but if you want help from Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws then you might want to treat them as more than just Gryffindor puppets," Luna intoned emotionlessly.

"I don't think that's what they were saying Luna," Ron said trying to avert an argument.

"No Ron, that's exactly what she said," Susan agreed looking rather annoyed. "We are the back up players and all we do is follow where people tell us to go."

Ron opened his mouth to respond when Susan continued, "Besides, you shouldn't be apologizing for them."

"Susan, all we were saying was that we would appreciate their help in getting the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws to support us," Blaise repeated looking at the Hufflepuff with a frown.

Susan looked at Luna, "They don't get it."

Luna smiled, "No, they will though."

"Girls, seriously, all they wanted was our help," Ron tried again. The Gryffindors and Slytherins watched Susan and Luna carefully, no one seemed to see the problem.

Luna turned to Ron with a smile, "Of course you don't see it our way Ronald. Very often if you're not Gryffindor or Slytherin, you get ignored here. As much as you can try not to care, it starts to bother you after a while."

"I never knew you felt that way," Neville said softly taking his girlfriend's hand.

"Neville dear, you know how much I like you Gryffindors. It would just be nice sometimes for someone to think we are important," Luna said sitting back down.

Blaise still looked confused and Susan sighed, "What would you think if I asked Hermione to talk to the Slytherin House about organizing a Quidditch match?"

"Hermione?" Blaise asked with a smirk.

"OK, fine then, Harry. I asked Harry to go to all of your friends and talk them into playing a game rather than asking you to do it. What does that tell you?"

"It says you trust Harry's influence with my friends more than my own," Blaise responded pausing a minute, "I see."

"Look, if you wanted the Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws to help you, you should have asked us and not implied that Ron, Harry, and Hermione are in charge of all three houses. What does that say about us?" Susan finished.

"You are both extremely important," Daphne walked over beside Ron so she could face the others. "I know you might be a bit offended by how I said what I did, but please understand. We don't have much experience dealing outside our House. This isn't about who is in what House, but who we can trust and who can help us without making things worse. Susan, Luna, we need all the help we can get."

Daphne glanced and Blaise and he nodded, looking around the room before casually flicking a bit of lint off of his shoulder. "We know what you think of Slytherin House and as much as it pains me to admit it, you aren't totally wrong. It wasn't always like this though. At one time Slytherin was known for producing ambitious and cunning witches and wizards without any taint of the Dark Arts. Look through the records and you will find more Slytherin Head Boys and Girls than any other House. Only with the coming of Grendenwald did the Dark Arts make their way into Slytherin in any real amount. The first rise of Voldemort only increased its popularity."

Blaise looked over the group as he rose to his feet, his voice deep with sincerity, "We want our House to return to the glory of the old days. We want to be friendly rivals with the Gryffindors, rather than have to worry about who will be hexing who," here Blaise looked down at Susan, and implemented his decision to push her away before continuing. He made sure his voice was cold when he continued, "We want Slytherins to be able to be seen with members of the other Houses, both in class and socially, without fights breaking out."

"So that is why you have been spending time with us. That's why you cared at all about Terry and Hannah. You were setting an example," Susan spoke up looking at Blaise.

Blaise met her gaze careful to keep his face neutral, Daphne had warned him not to become too attached. He couldn't afford to worry about Susan Bones as well as the fate of the Slytherin House, "Of course. Being seen in public together helps to strengthen our position with the other Slytherins. They have to know it is possible," Blaise replied. He needed her to believe that the only reason he had been near her was to bolster support with the other Slytherins and even the other houses.

Susan, to her credit, didn't even blink, "I see your point." She nodded slowly, but Blaise saw the change in her. She heard what he had wanted her to hear, and she believed him. Blaise frowned even further. He turned away from her and looked directly at Weasley and then to Potter. Of all the people in the room, those two would understand, "We are proud members of a once proud House, but we cannot do this without your help."

Blaise paused for a moment to compose himself and noticed Hermione giving him an odd look. Choosing to ignore her, he continued resuming his seat, careful not to look over as Susan, "Once we have settled how the future of the Slytherin House will continue, we can do more to aid you in your endeavors."

No one said anything as Ron looked around at the faces of his friends. Most of them were shocked. Never before had they heard a Slytherin speak that way and never would they have expected to hear it come from the lips of Blaise Zambini. Harry, Ginny, and Neville seemed to nod in agreement. Luna and Hermione studied each Slytherin in their turn. Daphne watched Blaise and Susan with a small frown on her face and finally Ron looked at the last two. Susan stared at her hands as if she was making a decision. Blaise, however, watched Susan closely, his face unreadable. Ron had missed something between the two.

It was Luna who broke the silence, "How can we help, Blaise?"

Blaise looked at the Ravenclaw sharply for a minute, as if gauging the truthfulness in her offer, and then to Daphne. Daphne nodded imperceptibly and once again the two understood each other's unspoken message.

Daphne looked at Luna and the rest of the group, "It would be a great help if you could keep an eye out for some of the younger Slytherins. We, and our allies, can keep an eye on them in the dungeons, but once they are spread out over the castle grounds it makes it easier for Malfoy and his goons to ambush them. The more support they see coming from the other Houses, the more we are hoping to discourage them. If you and Susan could talk to your friends and try to find people willing to help, the better off we will be."

Daphne paused looking at Blaise, and then to Susan, "It would also be a big help if you could start some sort of distraction during dinner. We have something we need to look into down in the dungeons and we can't afford to be interrupted."

Susan and Luna both looked at each other and then nodded in agreement.

"I can probably get Seamus and Dean to help you if you want, Susan," Ron chipped in.

"Just be careful ok?" Harry said seriously, "This is going to be a long war and it could even get ugly here before it's over. We don't want anyone making themselves too big a target for Malfoy and his cronies."

"I'll help you as well," Ginny added, "I have a feeling a good number of you might be busy tonight."

Susan smiled looking over at Ginny, "I think I know what we can do. Daphne, if we make Malfoy look bad in the process, will it be a problem?"

Daphne shook her head and smiled at Susan, "You do whatever you think is needed. Malfoy deserves all the abuse you can give him."

"If Neville will loan me his crutches over dinner, I think we can set a trap for Malfoy that will not only keep him distracted but might just let us hex him while earning him a detention."

"I like the way you think," Ginny added. "You're going to let me help, aren't you?"

Susan smiled at the red head, "Of course."

"Don't be a fool. Malfoy is cunning and he won't be working alone." Blaise ground his teeth in frustration. He was staying away from her for a reason, and she wants to go put herself in danger anyway? Why couldn't the girl stay out of trouble?

"We'll be fine. I'm surprised you care," Susan replied coolly.

Blaise frowned in earnest, her words stung him. "I'd rather not keep meeting in the Hospital Wing if it is all the same to you," he answered her, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm with Blaise on this," Harry growled. "You two setting yourselves up as targets for Malfoy is hardly what I would call a good idea."

"We will be safe," Ginny spoke up smiling at Harry. "We'll give Malfoy an opportunity to make the distraction for us. It will also help us gain more support in the other houses and show your Slytherin allies that they aren't alone."

"That's settled then," Luna spoke up, "Why are a number of you going to be busy tonight?"

Ron looked at Hermione and Harry to gauge their assent and then spoke to the group, "We are going to be helping Blaise and Daphne with a door they found in the dungeons."

"What sort of door?" Neville asked.

Daphne lowered her voice before she spoke, "Blaise and I were doing some scouting in the dungeons when we found a series of doors leading even deeper underground. We managed to open the first four doors when we came across a HIGHLY enchanted door. The entire surface of the door is covered in Runes and, so far it has resisted all of our efforts to open it. We are hoping Hermione, Harry and Ron may have another idea."

"I'm certain with all of us working together that we can open the door, but Ron won't be joining us tonight," Hermione remarked folding her arms over her chest.

"Like hell I won't," Ron replied.

"Don't swear Ron," Hermione admonished. "After your little jaunt into the Forbidden Forest you are going to spend the rest of today in bed."

"I'll be fine, love. After a little rest, I can sneak out and join you and Harry before you go to the dungeons," Ron replied smiling down at the angry girl at his side.

"Don't you give me that 'I'll be fine love' codswollop, Ronald Weasley," Hermione said her face flushing red.

Ginny and Harry looked at each other and Harry was certain that Ron didn't see that Hermione had both of her fists balled up tightly. It was a warning sign that things were going to get ugly and quickly.

"You know I heal quickly Hermione. It'll be alright. You have to trust me on this," Ron said soothingly.

"Don't you dare try that on me Ronald," Hermione growled. "I trust you in every regard, EXCEPT when it comes to taking care of yourself. I'll do whatever I have to do to make sure you stay in bed."

Ron arched one eyebrow, "Why Hermione, is that an offer?"

Hermione flushed but never lost her train of thought. "Yes Ron, it is an offer to hex you right into that bed." Hermione turned to Blaise and Daphne, "Let's meet about ten minutes after dinner starts in the Charms class room." Then she turned back to Ron ready to resume their argument.

Harry saw Ron make a gesture to Daphne like she would see him later and he also saw Hermione's eyes flash when she saw it as well.

"Ok everyone let's get out of here now. Those of you who haven't been around a while don't know just how bad their rows can get." Harry suggested.

They trooped outside, Daphne and Blaise allowing the others to precede them as Ron and Hermione continued to increase in volume.

"You hurt her," Daphne whispered to Blaise.

"I know. You're the one that said I needed to keep my distance. I can't afford Malfoy to know about her," Blaise replied annoyed.

"You mean you can't afford Malfoy to know how you feel about her. When we talked earlier, I meant you shouldn't be seen together in the Great Hall. I didn't mean to stop talking altogether," Daphne replied. "Unless you are still having doubts."

Blaise frowned deeper, Daphne knew him too well. Daphne continued, "She still agreed to help us, even with your stupid antics. As did the rest of them."

They walked in silence for a while until Daphne stopped Blaise and whispered, "Blaise, it is your decision, but people like Susan are rare. She's as far from Lenore as you can get, and for some odd reason I think she actually considered liking you back before you became an idiot again."

Blaise snorted annoyed at Daphne's insinuations, "I was not an idiot. I was trying to protect her."

"Protect her or protect yourself?" Daphne shot back.

Blaise stopped speaking at that point. He had to consider that she may be right.

"Ginny, I've got to go study for awhile this afternoon," Harry said looking at his girlfriend. "Can we spend some time together tonight after everything's finished up?"

Ginny frowned, but nodded, "That's Ok. We need to talk about Malfoy anyhow. I'll see you." Harry bent down and kissed her cheek before leaving them outside of the Hospital Wing.

Ginny sighed as she watched Harry walk away and then turned back to the remainder of the group, "The fun of dating the Boy Who Has Too Many Obligations." Ginny shook her head, "Ignore that. Now what's the plan?"

Susan spoke softly to Neville, Luna and Ginny as they walked back towards the Entrance Hall, "This is how I think we should do this. Luna if you would show Professor Flitwick your Gryffindor hat it would distract most of the Professors. I think Flitwick will like the new charms you added to it. At the same time, I will be standing with Ginny by the door to the Great Hall where Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle can't help but to see us. Now we all know that Malfoy won't be able to resist starting something if he thinks I am really injured. Neville will be seated at the end of the Gryffindor table to help out if things get bad."

Neville looked troubled, "Are you sure this is the best plan to distract Malfoy? I don't want anybody to get hurt."

"Honestly Neville we aren't helpless," Ginny smirked.

"I know that Ginny, I just want to make sure no one is trying to prove anything," he responded looking sharply at Susan.

Ginny looked confused while Susan pulled a face, "The ONLY thing that's going on is trying to help Harry, Ron and Hermione. Anything else is in your imagination."

"If you say so Susan," Neville replied not looking her in the eyes.

"Once this is over we can meet back in the Gryffindor common room. I'll nick some food from the kitchens so we aren't hungry after everything gets sorted out," Ginny smirked.

"Maybe we should meet in the Room of Requirement instead. In case some of the others want to join us," Luna added.

"Good idea, I'll tell Hermione to let Daphne and Blaise know," Ginny agreed. Susan frowned, but said nothing.

"I wonder if Ron and Hermione are still rowing?" Luna said dreamily.

Neville laughed, "I bet they are, love. Anybody who thought that they would stop rowing once they got together was kidding themselves."

Ginny shook her head, "I bet they are finished by now and already snogging."

When she noticed the disbelieving looks, she kept going, "I'm serious; believe it or not Ron knows how to handle Hermione when she gets really mad. They still fight but not nearly as bad and not nearly as long."

"It's his smile," Luna said sliding her necklace back and forth across her throat.

"What?" Neville sputtered and looked at both Ginny and Susan who shrugged.

"She can't resist his smile, silly. It's why I fancied him last year. I was a bit worried that nargles were going to mess it up last Christams but they left him alone," Luna replied her eyes looking off in the distance.

"You fancied Ron?" Neville asked turning pale.

Luna nodded solemnly, with no hint of embarrassment, "I spent all of last year trying to get his attention."

"So do you still fancy him?" Neville asked, sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"Of course not Neville," Luna replied indignantly. "Do I look like the type of girl who would shag someone, while fancying someone else?"

"No," Neville blurted out his face turning bright red as he glanced at Ginny and Susan. Meanwhile they were doing their very best not to burst out in laughter.

"Oh Neville, like we didn't all ready know," Susan laughed at his embarrassment.

Luna looked over at Neville and smiled, "It's a good thing I fancied him too."

"It is?" Neville gasped.

Luna nodded again, "If I hadn't fancied him then I wouldn't have gotten to know you. I was trying to spend a lot of time around the Gryffindors so he would notice me. That's when you and I started talking so much."

Neville brightened, "I guess I should be thankful you started to fancy him then."

Luna laughed, "You should thank him at some point you know." Luna paused for a moment. "Are we finished for now?"

Susan looked at Ginny and then shrugged, "I guess so, let's meet back here about twenty minutes before dinner."

Luna nodded and grabbed Neville's hand, "Come on Neville."

Neville struggled to follow Luna on his crutches, "Where are we going Luna?"

Luna smiled at him over her shoulder as she pulled him along behind her, "I'm just going to remind you what you have to be thankful for."

Harry and Hermione stepped into the Charms classroom and greeted both Daphne and Blaise, "Shall we head down to the Dungeons?" Hermione asked brightly looking back at the door.

"I take it this means that Weasley won't be joining us?" Blaise asked with his usual sarcastic smile.

Hermione nodded, "I think it is safe to say he won't risk umm exposing himself to my wrath," she answered her eyes twinkling much like Dumbledore.

Daphne sighed and reached into her pocket. She pulled out her pouch and handed him five galleons. Then she turned back to Hermione. "If you don't mind my asking, how did you get him to agree to stay? He seemed awfully insistent."

"I want to know too, it had to have been good," Harry agreed.

Hermione gave them a mischievous smile, "I took his clothes while he was in the loo."

The three bent over with laughter, "Well, I guess he won't be joining us tonight," Daphne conceded glaring at the smug Blaise.

"Not unless he wants to go with us starkers," Hermione giggled.

Blaise screwed up his face in disgust, "Well then, let's be glad he's not here. Shall we go?"

Both Daphne and Hermione nodded and Blaise opened the door just in time for Ron to walk through the door fully clothed.

"How did you get your clothes?" Hermione sputtered.

"I'm a shape shifter Hermione. I just ran to Gryffindor Tower as a lion and got more clothes there. We WILL be discussing this later tonight," he scowled at his girl friend.

Blaise frowned when Daphne stuck her hand out and he returned her five galleons and matched it with five of his own.

"Remind me I owe you a butterbeer Ron," Daphne smirked at Blaise.

"Next time Granger, I expect better," Blaise added. "Now that everyone is here. When we get in the passages I will take the lead and Daphne will follow last. If you get lost, stay put and we will find you. At my best guess, I have at least half of the passages mapped and all of the ones that we will be traveling through."

"How did you get so far in a week?" Harry asked looking at the maps. "These are amazing."

Blaise looked at the Gryffindor, the smirk in place, "Let's just say this wasn't the first set of passages I have explored and leave it at that. Shall we?" Blaise asked moving once more towards the door.

"You know, I am going to find out about those maps," Harry told Blaise as the others walked out.

"We'll talk about a trade later on. There are a number of things I am curious about as well," Blaise answered him. "For now, I just hope Granger can open the door."

Harry followed Blaise and Daphne doing his best to not get caught up in the tension settling between Ron and Hermione. The two Slytherins flanked him on either side, with Hermione and Ron following in the rear.

"What do you think Ginny and Susan are going to do to Malfoy?" Daphne asked Harry starting up conversation. The halls were silent and empty as everyone had all ready gone to dinner.

Daphne watched the two faces frown enjoying pulling their strings, "Do you think Ginny or Susan would hex Malfoy?"

"Susan," Blaise said as Harry answered, "Ginny."

The two boys looked at each other in surprise for a minute, "You're right," they replied in unison.

"Umm…I take it they both will hex Malfoy?" Daphne laughed.

"They had better. If Malfoy so much as breathes wrong on either of them, Neville will step in and the results wouldn't be pretty," Harry replied.

"Longbottom?" Blaise scoffed, "It's hard to imagine him being a threat."

Harry looked over to Daphne. While everyone knew that he and Ron had improved enormously over the past year, it was generally unknown that Susan, Neville, and the rest of the DA had also been training. Harry preferred that it be kept that way.

Daphne seemed to sense Harry's unease and chose to answer for him, "Blaise, Harry is an excellent judge of skill. If Longbottom is capable of knocking Malfoy flat on his arse in the Great Hall, I'm inclined to believe him."

Harry once again watched as Blaise and Daphne measured each other. Blaise looked the girl over with a critical eye as Daphne smiled almost innocently back at him.

"Perhaps," Blaise agreed. Daphne hadn't told him anything directly, but she affirmed that his suspicions regarding the habits of Neville, Susan, and the rest of their little squad weren't quite what they wanted the school to believe.

Harry glanced back to his friends, Ron and Hermione had been giving each other the cold shoulder since they had left the Charms class room. Blaise lead them past the Potions room and deeper into the dungeons. Harry recognized the entrance to the Slytherin Common room, but said nothing as they twisted their way through the dark corridors. As they walked, Harry fell back with Ron and Hermione, each of them drawing a wand.

Daphne and Blaise turned down another corridor and stopped before a blank wall. They looked back and started laughing at the sight of Harry, Ron and Hermione standing closely in a knot, wands at the ready.

"Please refrain from hexing our first years if you don't mind," Blaise said, not bothering to conceal his smirk as he brought forth a metal lantern from his pouch.

Daphne hid her smile with her hand, "I would have thought you three wouldn't be afraid of anything by now."

"There is a big difference in being afraid and being ready for trouble." Hermione shot back her annoyance at the blond Slytherin renewed.

"Not to mention that there are some things that you should be afraid of," Harry added somberly.

Both Daphne and Blaise lost their smiles at Harry's reminder of what could go wrong.

Blaise lit the lantern with a quick, "Incendio." The lantern cast and eerie glow in the Hall throwing shadows about. "I've found that you can't always count on your wand for light when it may be needed for other things," he spoke directly to Harry.

"Sensible," Harry replied appreciating the Slytherins preparations.

Blaise turned back to the wall, "Alohamora," he spoke, but the wand movement was incorrect. Hermione opened her mouth to stop him when the Slytherin hefted his lantern and walked through the wall, Daphne right behind him.

The Gryffindors found themselves in the dark before Harry muttered, "Lumos." He looked at Ron and Hermione and back to the wall, "I'll go first."

Harry walked through the wall with Hermione and Ron hard on his heels.

"You did the charm wrong," Hermione started as soon as they had rejoined them. "There are ten varieties of that spell and you performed none of them."

Blaise chuckled, "There are fourteen, Granger. Most standard books only teach ten. There are, however, a few more obscure forms that date back before the books."

Ron knew without a doubt that Hermione would be spending the next week looking for the other four varieties.

The five of them stood close together in an area just inside of the opening, Blaise's lantern throwing shadows along the walls. Ron's senses were on alert, the air smelled old, musty and damp and if he could, he would have paced. It felt to him as if the corridors had long been abandoned. Behind him, Ron looked back to see a clear view of the hallway beyond and his tension eased. He found it odd, how close spaces made him nervous.

Blaise's voice drew his attention, "Daphne, make sure they keep up. You three stay between us. Remember, if we get separated, do not try to walk out. Stay where you are and we will find you. _No exceptions._ Daphne and I have found and removed a number of curses in these passages, but we have not been through them all. Understood?"

The Gryffindors all nodded and Blaise once again hefted his lantern leading down a narrow corridor. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and finally Daphne followed him, their wands drawn, but only Daphne and Hermione used the Lumos charm.

They spent the next fifteen minutes in silence as Blaise led them through the twisting passages. Soon Ron was certain he couldn't find his way out alone. Each and every time Blaise reached an intersection he paused and then chose, he never looked at his maps, but seemed to have memorized the path to where they were going. Several times Ron thought he saw evidence of spells that blasted holes or burnt places on the walls. More than once he tripped on rubble strewn across the damp floors. The passage was narrow, carved out of solid rock and only large enough room for one person at a time.

Blaise lead them down worn, narrow stairs in several places that descended deeper under the castle. They ran in long circles and Ron imagined that they were circling large pillars holding up the base of the castle. He could hear dripping water echoing from somewhere as he followed the dim lights further down. Ron once again became conscious of his size as they progressed deeper into the dark.

"How far below ground do you think we are?" Ron whispered to Hermione, the silence pressing in on him.

"At least twenty meters below the dungeon floor. Count the stairs, they will give you an indication," Hermione replied.

Ron started counting and hit 100 steps before they entered another long passage. Eventually, Blaise came to a stop in front of a formidable looking door where the passage widened into a large circle to allow for its bulk. Blaise, Harry, and Ron all cast Lumos charms and the door came into better focus.

The door seemed to be made of a dark wood of some sort and it was reinforced with iron bands and fixtures. Even more impressive were the Sigils and Runes that covered the surface of the door. Ron could see Hermione's eyes glowing with excitement.

Curious, Ron walked forward and reached a hand out towards the handle when Hermione grabbed his wrist. "Don't Ron, the door can't be opened safely until the Runes and translated and the proper password is spoken."

Ron turned to her moving a bit gingerly backing into the corridor, "Can you translate them? What am I saying? Of course you can. Have you already translated them?" he laughed.

Hermione smiled up at him and looked at Blaise and Daphne, "You were right. This is a very rare Celtic dialect. May I?" Hermione asked motioning towards the lantern.

Blaise hefted the lantern closer to the door for her to see, she read in silence for a moment, before she began to speak, "The runes are old, maybe a thousand years."

"That was in keeping with the entrance and some of the more interesting things we found down here," Daphne answered her also peering at the door and then shaking her head in annoyance, "Translating ancient symbols from a bunch of moldy books was never my thing."

Hermione ignored her pointing towards the door, "This passage says 'Only those who serve the greater wheal of Hogwarts may pass these doors. Come then those who serve most willingly and try thy hand."

"Wheel of Hogwarts?" Harry asked. "What is that?"

Hermione shrugged and continued, motioning for more light and then frowned. "Most of the passage is gone. The only other line I can see is 'Only a worthy member of this house may open this portal.'"

"Which house?" Ron asked.

Hermione frowned again, "Well I assume it means Slytherin because the entrance is in the dungeons, but I could be wrong."

"Is there some sort of password?" Daphne asked.

Hermione shook her head, "Strangely there isn't."

"Then how does the person open the door?" Harry asked perplexed.

"I have a theory that the person need to 'put forth their power' and then the door will open for them," Hermione replied turning away from the door.

"What the bloody shite does that mean?" Ron muttered as Blaise nodded his head in understanding.

"Language Ron," Hermione prompted "It's a phrase used a lot in old curse breaking texts. Many old spells could recognize a person's right to pass through them by the tone in their voice and the way they present themselves."

"What she is saying is that the person has to believe they have the right to open the door and then the door will open for them," Blaise added looking at the door. "I've only ever heard of one other."

"Well, that is just a bit simple but for the most part accurate," Hermione agreed reaching over for Ron's hand in the dark.

"So which one of you is going to try it?" Harry grinned.

Daphne opened her mouth to say something, but Blaise cut her off, "It has to be me. I'm the obvious choice."

Harry, Ron and Hermione turned to stare at him. Daphne, on the other hand, turned bright red and took a step forward, towards the door. Blaise moved with her, putting one hand on her shoulder. He spoke quietly as if not to insult her further, "Daphne you know it's true, remember what the Sorting hat told you."

All the Gryffindors turned to look at Daphne who glared at Blaise and looked resolutely at the floor as she spoke to the others, "The Sorting hat wanted to put me in Gryffindor, but I asked it not to."

"You wanted to be in Slytherin?" Harry asked incredulously.

Blaise's face scowled in anger but he didn't speak. Daphne looked Harry in the eye defiantly, "All my family who attended Hogwarts were in Slytherin, as well as all of their friends. I did not want to disappoint my parents."

Ron and Hermione nodded in understanding.

Harry looked at her for a moment, "The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Slytherin, but I begged to be put in any other House, so I sort of understand."

Both Blaise and Daphne looked stunned as they stared at Harry. Finally Blaise managed, "It wanted to put you in Slytherin?"

"Imagine if Daphne had been in Gryffindor and Harry in Slytherin," Hermione said softly.

"I'd be dead," Harry said flatly.

"Yeah, I reckon you would." Ron said with an ironic laugh. "So did anyone else talk the Sorting Hat into putting them in a different House?"

"It wanted to put me in Ravenclaw, but I wanted to be in Gryffindor," Hermione said in a small voice.

Blaise smiled at her for a moment, "It told me I could be in Ravenclaw if I wanted. I umm. . . well, let's just say there wouldn't have been a Sorting Hat if they had put me over there."

Ron looked a bit put out, "That ruddy hat never said anything to me. It just yelled Gryffindor. I wonder why?"

The other four looked at each other and broke out into laughter that echoed back along the passages.

Ron looked a bit hurt for a moment and then turned to look at the door. A moment later he felt Hermione's hand on his arm, "I just asked a question Hermione, you didn't have to laugh at me for being stupid."

Hermione reached out and turned his face towards her, "We weren't laughing at you Ron. It's just that you are so Gryffindor you couldn't be anything else," Ron and Hermione stood entranced with each other until Blaise interrupted.

"Ok you two, can we get this moving?" Blaise smirked.

Hermione nodded and stepped back from the door taking Ron with her.

Blaise walked up to the front of the door and raised his wand. In a loud voice he proclaimed, "I am Blaise Zambini, of the Honored House of Zambini, and the Ancient House of Slytherin. I demand that you allow me entrance."


	71. Testing the limits

Chapter 71

As soon as the words left Blaise's mouth the frame of the door began to glow with silver light. The door itself swung open with a low roar as the light began to swirl in the doorway. Ron pulled Hermione behind him blocking her from the light as Harry grabbed Daphne. All four stood with their wands pointed toward the door. Blaise however didn't move, he stood without a shred of fear watching unimpressed as the light coalesced into a large silver serpent. The serpent coiled in the middle of the now open doorway and looked closely at Blaise, hovering just inches from the Slytherin's body. Blaise looked down at it with his signature sarcastic smirk on his features. Both Harry and Ron began to edge along the walls and started to raise their wands when the serpent struck. Darting its head forward swiftly it hit Blaise in the chest and he began to glow with the same silver energy. Ron raised his arm against the bright light as a slight wind passed through the doorway and back down the corridor. A hissing voice whispered as the light faded, "Son of Salazar you may pass."

Blaise brushed imaginary lint off of his shoulder as he looked back at the others. Without speaking a word he stepped through the now empty doorway and into the corridor beyond. Torches lit at his presence and the hall was filled with light. Blaise looked around noticing a thin layer of dust on the floor, he knew that the corridor had been undisturbed for a very long time. Blaise felt himself relax as he looked about the corridor. The large serpent had actually scared him. He had known it would be his death to show any sign of fear, but that had made it harder on him not to show any sign of fear or doubt. It was a lesson engrained into every Slytherin. Thank Merlin he had learned it himself. Shaking himself from his thoughts he called out to the others. "Come on in, the corridor looks like it goes a little further and then turns into an archway."

Daphne moved up beside him. She looked him over carefully, one hand on his shoulder. He saw the relief on her face and nodded once, to reassure her before she stepped away from him again.

"You have guts Zambini," Harry spoke up as he entered the Hallway with Hermione and Ron right behind.

"Or no brains. That thing could have killed you," Hermione continued.

"You told me what I had to do. It tested me to make sure I knew I was allowed through the door," Blaise responded blowing out his lantern and returning it to his pack.

"Still, well done," Ron replied impressed with the Slytherin, "You all wait here and I'll scout ahead," he continued as he swiftly changed into a lion.

"Wait a minute Ron," Hermione scowled only to see Ron pad off down the corridor.

Hermione let loose with a string of curse words that moments before Harry had been certain that she had no idea existed. Hermione held her wand pointed down the corridor and swore with all her might.

Blaise couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Facing that damned door had been worth it to see Granger cursing like a drunken sailor. Very soon Daphne and Harry joined in. Only Hermione didn't seem to find the humor in the situation as she realized what exactly it was she was doing.

Hermione whirled on Blaise and thrust her wand into his chest, "It's not funny." She fumed turning her anger on the Slytherin. Blaise paled as she jabbed her wand into his chest, "He's still injured and now he's running off into Merlin knows where."

"I told you I was fine," Ron said behind Hermione causing her to jump unexpectedly. "It seems safe in that room down there," he told Harry and Blaise. He looked down at Hermione where she stood with her hands on her hips, "You're going to want to see what is in there."

Hermione noted the tone of Ron's voice and walked past him without a second glance, "Ok, lets go see what Ron found." The others watched as Hermione walked down the corridor, obviously still upset. Ron turned away from her, unconcerned and looked back at Blaise with a smirk of his own.

"The door that could have killed you didn't bother you, but angry Granger did?" Daphne scoffed.

Blaise shook his head at Daphne and then shrugged towards Ron, "I'd rather take my chances with the door."

"Probably wise," Harry agreed following Hermione back down the corridor.

Hermione entered a small, circular room lit by torches similarly to the corridor she had just left. Her gaze lit upon shelves upon shelves of old, dusty books lined the walls. Hermione let out a small gasp. Torches lit the room and red banners hung along its walls. The room seemed familiar to her, before she realized it reminded her of the Gryffindor common room. A small table stood in the center of the room surrounded by four high-backed chairs. Under a layer of dust, the Hogwarts Crest was clearly etched in the top of the table as well as the symbols of the four Houses. Each of the House symbols sat in front of one of the chairs. Hermione lingered for just a moment near the table before her eyes went back to what had caused her to gasp in the first place, the bookshelves.

Several rows of books, bound in leather and other forms Hermione did not recognize at a glance, lined the walls of the room. Hermione moved over to the bookshelves as the rest of her friends looked around the room in awe.

A quick scan of the books told her most were spell books, but several were histories written by the founders themselves. The familiar thrill of discovery, that so often brought Hermione to the library, ran through her again as she spotted a book penned by Rowena Ravenclaw. Pulling the book from the shelf she looked around for a place to sit to search for references to the cauldron. Unfortunately, the only place to sit would be at the table. Hermione stood hesitating, when Ron's laughter broke the silence.

"Go on love, no one will care if you sit there," he smiled as if he had read her mind.

Hermione frowned, "This place has been untouched for perhaps a thousand years. Just sitting down could be dangerous."

"I can see your point," Ron replied with a nod then without a warning he pulled out the chair in front of the Gryffindor symbol and sat down. Everyone held their breath for the span of a heartbeat and then exhaled loudly.

"Damn it Ron, why can't you be a little more careful," Hermione exploded.

"Hermione, nothing happened to me, I'm fine." he replied evenly.

"Anything could have happened to you though. Why do you have to be so reckless? Am I going to have to put you on a leash?" she spat back at him.

Eager to head off a great row here in this place Harry stepped between them and turned to Hermione, "So Hermione, did you find something important?"

Hermione turned to answer Harry when the Gryffindor symbol in front of Ron started to blaze as if on fire. Before Ron could stand up a glowing red orb appeared in front of him. It flickered for a moment and then the surface began glowing, hovering at Ron's eye level. Ron seemed transfixed by the orb and made no movement to break away from the chair. Hermione moved to stand next to him, "What's happening Ron." she asked somehow managing to keep the fear out of her voice.

Ron didn't answer her but continued to stare into the orb. Hermione followed his gaze to the orb and saw a scene being played out on the surface of the flaming orb. She motioned the others forward and pointed to the tableau being played out before them.

On the surface of the orb a ten year old Ron was locked in battle with a grindylow. He was trying to hit the grindylow with a rock to keep it from swimming away with an unconscious Ginny. The scene shifted and Ron was standing in front of the Sorting Hat being sorted into Gryffindor. Harry and Hermione's eyes met and Hermione recognized the fear bright in Harry's eyes. Turning back to the orb, Hermione saw Ron mounted on a chess piece as the opposing Queen struck him down. Then Ron stood with his wand out attempting to curse Malfoy for calling Hermione a Mudblood. The scene changed yet again and Ron stood in the Hospital wing slowly moving one hand down a petrified Hermione's cheekbone as Harry spoke to Madame Pomfrey.

Hermione blushed and felt the now familiar warmth spread through her at the gesture she had never felt. The orb flickered and Ron was standing with Harry in front of Aragog. Fear was etched across his face, but he stood by Harry as they spoke with a cavern full of spiders. The interior of the shrieking shack now came into view and Ron stood in front of Harry and Hermione on his broken leg in defiance of Sirius.

Hermione noted with growing concern that the orb had grown larger and seemed to be growing brighter. The scene shifted again and she saw Ron in his dress robes shouting at her as her carefully arranged hair came falling down. That could only have been their now famous row right after the Yule ball. She felt her chest constrict at the look on his face as she stormed up the stairs to the girls dorm.

The orb flared even brighter and Ron was standing on the Quidditch pitch. A group of Slytherins walked by with their 'Weasley is Our King' badges flashing and her heart felt like it would break when Ron, shoulders sagged, reached for his broom. Just as suddenly, Ron stood back up, straightened his robes and squared his shoulders as he mounted his broom.

The orb seemed to shudder as it grew even larger and Hermione felt her throat constrict as the battle at the Department of Mysteries came into focus. Both she and Harry watched aghast as they followed Ron, Ginny and Luna after they had become separated. Hermione's eyes grew bright as they struggled their way through the planet room and she bit her lip when Ron got hit with the curse and blood started to leak out of his mouth. Then she watched in horror as he struggled against the tentacles of the brain.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears, but a comforting hand on her shoulder reminded her that these were only memories. Hermione flicked a glance to see Daphne watching her, her face filled with sympathy.

Hermione turned back to the orb, wondering how much more she could take when the scene shifted yet again and Ron was standing over her in the Hospital wing. His arms and chest were heavily bandaged and he winced as he moved. After standing there a moment he leaned down and seemed to whisper something to her. Then in a blink of an eye Ron was standing beside a pool looking at a looming black cloud. The leering face of a Death Eater filled the orb as a desperate and injured Ron shouted the killing curse. The scenes began changing so fast that Hermione could only see bits of the images as they flew by.

The light from the orb became so bright that Hermione had to shield her eyes from it when it suddenly swelled and burst over the room in a wash of blinding light. As it did a booming voice proclaimed, "You shall be a worthy messenger. Deliver this treasure of my House unto my heir."

When Hermione opened her eyes, she saw a large red shield with the Golden Gryffindor lion inset on it. Ron opened his eye, staring blankly forward, and reached out for the Shield. They watched him closely, waiting, as he stood and turned to face them.

Hermione reached out and touched Ron's arm questioningly, but Ron ignored her as he faced Harry. "I was charged with delivering this to Gryffindor's heir," he handed the shield to Harry who took it gingerly. Ron continued seeming to still be under the the sphere's influence, "I have delivered my charge. Wear it well Heir of Gryffindor."

Harry stared at the shield and then back at Ron, "Ron, what am I supposed to do with this?"

The sound of Harry's voice seemed to shake Ron out of his daze and he looked back at the shield. "How the hell should I know? Where did you get that anyway?"

Harry looked at Ron incredulously, "You just gave it to me; right after it appeared on the table in front of you."

Ron's brows furrowed in concentration, "So it just appeared for no reason?"

Daphne looked closely at the table and chair, "Well, first you sat in the chair with the Gryffindor symbol and then the orb of fire appeared."

"Orb of fire? What are you on about Daphne?" Ron continued inspecting the chair as well.

"What was the last thing you remember?" Hermione asked gently.

"I pulled out the chair, you had a book in your hand, and you mentioned something about a leash," Ron replied.

"That's how it started," Blaise confirmed, "Speaking of Granger, a leash? Seriously, be a little more creative. You're beginning to disappoint."

"Anyway," Daphne intervened, "An orb appeared and it sort of played out your life's story. Then it exploded and when we could see again the shield was sitting on the table," Daphne finished gesturing to the shield remaining in Harry's grasp.

Ron frowned and turned to Hermione as if for confirmation. When he saw her nod his frown deepened, "So does anyone know what this means?"

Hermione shook her head and saw where she had dropped the book. Hermione lifted the volume and a smile lit her face as she looked back to Ron.

"So if you don't know what this means, then I take it your smile means you know something else?" Ron asked a bit annoyed.

Hermione shook her head. "Daphne, why don't you and Blaise see if there is anything about this table in those books for a minute?" Hermione suggested.

"Have it your way," Blaise replied sensing something was amiss.

Hermione pulled Ron and Harry across the room and her smile got even bigger as she whispered, "When the orb blew up I dropped this. It fell open here, and look what this passage reads."

Hermione flipped the book open and held it for Ron and Harry to read. In an ancient, delicate hand the following passage had been penned by Rowena Ravenclaw.

_Though they have long been ignored by my peers, the house elves have long been one of the foundations of our society. Thus, it is fitting that the house elves will indeed be the foundation of our new school. It will be the home to the largest number of their kind in one building up till now. Here they will serve as both caretakers and as a powerful defense against those who would harm our dream._

As they all finished reading the passage Ron shook his head, "Is this about S.P.E.W. Hermione?" he asked much to Harry's amusement.

"No Ron, it isn't," Hermione glanced back at the Slytherins who were speaking in low tones. Hermione looked at the two boys and gestured for them to lean closer as she stood on her tip toes to whisper, "I know where the Cauldron is."

"Where is it?" Ron asked listening as Blaise and Daphne continued to sort through the books on the shelves.

"You'll have to come with me," she replied smiling up at Ron impishly.

"Ok," Ron replied glad to see her smiling once more, "I can live with that."

Harry rolled his eyes at the pair, "Ginny is going to kill me. I promised her we would spend some time together tonight."

Hermione frowned and Harry shook his head, "I'll have to make it up to her later. This is too important."

Hermione shrugged, "I'll try talking to her too. Let's go though. Perhaps there may still be time."

Hermione walked over to the two Slytherins, "Can you and Blaise seal this room until we can come back? I need to take Harry and Ron with me."

"Sure," Daphne replied studying the three closely. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Well, we have a better idea at least," Hermione agreed placing Rowena's book back on the shelves.

"I don't think you should take the shield out of here until you have a secure place for it," Blaise added nodding to Harry. "Or the book," he continued nodding to Hermione.

Harry gripped the shield tighter, "I was entrusted with this."

"And we want to make sure you can keep it," Blaise replied. "Look, there are four doors into this room. It makes sense that there is at least one person from each House that can enter here. We just need to find the right corridors and the right person. For now, would you rather trust the entire school, or just me, that your shield will be safe here. Only the five of us know about the shield and this place, and only one of us can get in. What else were you going to do with it? Stick it under your bed?"

"He's right Harry," Hermione agreed setting to book on one of the shelves. "Better to leave it secure here than in the dorms."

Harry and Blaise stood toe to toe for a minute before Harry gingerly set the shield down above the Gryffindor symbol. "This isn't a game Zambini," he warned the taller Slytherin.

"I don't play games Potter," Blaise replied equally as coldly. "You have my word that it will remain here untouched and that I will bring you back to retrieve it after we have secured a place for it."

Harry nodded once, "Let's go," he muttered walking towards the door with Ron following behind him.

Hermione looked to Daphne, "One more thing, can you check on Susan and Ginny? We are supposed to meet them in the Room of Requirement and will probably be late."

Blaise answered quickly, "We'll meet them after we finish securing here."

Hermione nodded and grabbed Ron with one hand and Harry with the other as she headed out of the Dungeons. Hermione was walking as fast as she could, Ron and Harry following along behind her as she wound her way out of the dungeons.

"Hermione, do you know how to get out of here?" he asked turned around as she reached to top of the first flight of stairs.

Hermione stopped, huffed for a moment, and replied, "Of course I do. I marked the corners with chalk on our way down."

Ron and Harry kept quiet as they let Hermione lead them along as fast as she could. It seemed that they reached the dungeons much more quickly than it had taken to reach the door. "Let's make sure we aren't seen," Harry whispered taking the lead as they entered the dungeons.

"Remember what Daphne and Blaise said. We don't want to get caught on the wrong side," Ron agreed keeping his wand at the ready.

They passed several groups of Slytherins walking along the corridors as if on patrol. Even the first and second years held the wands at the ready as they passed through to their own Common Room.

As soon as they left the dungeons, Hermione took the lead once more taking them directly to the kitchens.

"Hermione, why are we in the kitchens?" Harry asked as he watched Ron looking through the pantry.

Hermione smiled at Harry as they both ignored Ron stuffing his face, "The house elves have the Cauldron, Harry."

Harry nodded and noticed a very old house elf had walked up to Hermione without being noticed until she spoke. "Yes clever one, we guard the secret of the Cauldron. Will you be the ones who attempt the tasks?"

"What tasks are those?" Harry asked as Ron joined them with a plate of food in one hand.

"Those who would take the Cauldron must prove themselves worthy. There are three tests, one for each of the champions. I must warn you youngling, the tasks can be dangerous and one of them may turn deadly in the end if the champion is not worthy. Are you prepared to face your trials?"

Hermione placed a hand on Harry's arm and shook her head, "We will wait until the morning to start. A good night's sleep will help us be strong in the morning."

The house elf bowed, "You are wise as well as brave. We will await you in the morning then."

"That should stop anyone if they make it this far into the corridors," Daphne sighed as she and Blaise stepped back into the dungeons, "Home sweet home."

"Let's get to the Room of Requirement," Blaise spoke up from behind her after he had re-sealed the secret entrance.

"Why? Worried?" Daphne asked with a smile as she followed the briskly walking Slytherin.

Blaise ignored her as Lenore rounded the corner with Gavin Bermstine, "Blaise, Daphne, where were you two at dinner? You missed the entertainment," Gavin spoke up, his arm draped possessively around Lenore.

Daphne and Blaise looked at each other, "Entertainment?" Daphne asked the seventh year.

Daphne watched Lenore carefully as the dark haired, seventh year smiled up at Blaise. Daphne had never trusted Lenore, and during the year that she and Blaise had been dating, Lenore had done everything in her power to end their friendship. Blaise, to his credit, never fell for that particular trap. Unfortunately, he had been so easily manipulated elsewhere. Daphne had watched as Lenore made him miserable, doing everything she could to use his money and status to her advantage. Daphne knew Blaise's parents had applauded the match, seeing in Lenore everything they had hoped for their son. Daphne had never heard the details from Blaise as to how they had reacted when he ended things with her, but she knew that it had been difficult for the sixteen year old.

Blaise had ended it with her over the past summer and by the first week of classes Lenore had latched onto Gavin. Gavin and Lenore were a striking couple. Daphne had suspected Lenore of trying to make Blaise jealous, but Blaise had laughed the whole thing off saying that the two superficial manipulaters were good for each other. A year later, Daphne had to agree that he had been right. The pair enjoyed playing games against each other, and amazingly enough had weathered most of the school year together. Blaise and Gavin had been friends before he had started dating Lenore, and none of that had changed as Blaise was glad to be rid of her.

"Oh yes, the Weasley girl and one of those plain faced Hufflepuffs got into with Malfoy over dinner," Lenore added smiling up at Blaise. "It turns out you two were right."

"What happened," Blaise demanded rather harshly.

Lenore seemed surprised, and pleased to know something of interest to Blaise, "Well, we happened to walk in after Malfoy who had stopped with Crabbe, Goyle, and the rest of his little gang to harass the Weasley girl and the Hufflepuff."

"Bones," Gavin supplied, "That's it, the Hufflepuff, her name is Bones."

"What exactly did he say?" Blaise prompted again, his voice rough.

Gavin chuckled, "He made some joke about Bones and her broken leg. He told her it was a warning about what happens to Hufflepuffs that think too much of themselves."

"And?" Daphne asked watching Blaise's expression harden.

"That Bones girl didn't take too kindly to that and called Malfoy a coward for how he was treating some of the other students," Lenore replied with a chuckle.

Daphne played along, "The girl has some guts," she chuckled as well. "Malfoy must have gone crazy."

Gavin, and Lenore laughed with her, but Blaise stood completely silent. He fought to keep his calm as he imagined Susan leaning on a crutch and calling Malfoy a coward. His blood chilled at the thought.

"You should have seen it! Malfoy's face turned four shades of red. He called both her and Weasley traitors to their pure blood heritage. He told Weasley she was nothing more than Potter's whore and said that the luckiest day in Bones' life was the day Diggory died and he stopped poisoning her mind that all wizards were equal," Gavin continued shaking his head in disbelief.

Lenore picked up the story looking at Blaise intently, "You should have seen it, the entire Great Hall went silent. Every person in the school had heard every single word he said."

Lenore paused a moment, catching Gavin's eye and trying to signal to him that something else was going on. "Come to think of it, wasn't Bones the one you were studying with in the library a couple days ago?"

Gavin's eyebrow raised in surprise and Daphne frowned deeper, boys were such idiots where girls were concerned.

"Perhaps," Blaise replied coldly further annoyed at himself. A portion of him wanted to confirm that he had been the one with her and to warn Gavin and Malfoy to stay away from her, but the other half wanted to deny all knowledge of the incident. When had Blaise's life become so complicated?

"Didn't I see you dancing with her on Valentine's Day?" Gavin added with a smirk. "The girl may be plain, but she's got the best legs in school."

Lenore elbowed Gavin in the ribs, "After you of course," he amended.

Blaise's sarcastic smirk returned looking over at Lenore and back to Gavin, he bragged just a bit hoping to distract them, "That was me. I always had a thing for blonds with long legs."

Lenore and Daphne both frowned at him, but he knew exactly where Gavin's thoughts had turned. Any further speculation in regards to Susan would be entirely based on the physical, and he hadn't lied. Susan did have spectacular legs.

"Anyway," Daphne rolled her eyes, "What else happened?" she asked shooting a warning glance to Blaise.

"This is the really interesting part. That Weasley girl tried to take Malfoy's head off. One of Potter's little friends had to restrain her. Bones though, the girl laughed. She laughed like it was the funniest thing she had ever heard. She stopped and got right up in Malfoy's face. I've never seen anything like it. The girl could have been a Slytherin with the face she pulled on him. She told him and I quote, "You're not only a coward Malfoy, you are an absolute fool and a pathetic bully. We have had enough. You're right, all wizards aren't equal. I can tell you that every single wizard in this room is better than you and that includes Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory. At least they have the guts to stand up for what they believe in.'" Gavin continued.

"The timing couldn't have been better. Malfoy pulled his wand, but the professors were coming to intervene. He just looked over at Bones and then Weasley and warned them that what happened to Diggory would be child's play when compared to what he would do," Lenore replied.

Blaise ground his teeth in fury. If Malfoy dared to touch her in any way, he would pay and pay dearly for it. No one interferes with a Zambini and what was his, and walks away unscathed. Blaise's fury grew; Susan Bones was his.

Daphne nodded towards Gavin ignoring Blaise, "Go on."

Gavin looked over to Blaise confused before continuing, "Bones just stood their leaning on her crutch and she didn't even look at him. She looked right at Caleb Trenalen, the first year pointy faced one that Mafloy's been giving such a bad time. Then she got right up in Malfoy's face, 'You wouldn't have the nerve to do it yourself.' She looked back at Caleb like she was speaking right to him, "We don't judge all Slytherins by the actions of a few fools. Anyone that thinks there is a better way would have my full support."

Gavin took a deep breath, "Then the amazing thing happened, Weasley shook off the guy holding her and said 'And mine,' then half the Gryffindor table, and a good number of the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws rose to their feet like they were agreeing with her. You two were right about their support. The split in the House is complete. You should have seen their faces. No one knew what to say. Then everyone started talking at once. Bones and Weasley walked out like nothing had happened and a number of people that were unsure came over to our side after tonight. If you can believe it, Caleb sat their all through dinner talking about Bones and trying to rally support."

Blaise shook his head, upset, but realizing that things were proceeding much more quickly than he would have anticipated, "We need to talk. This is escalating things."

"He's right," Daphne agreed, "Lenore would you gather all of the fourth years and above that see things our way? We'll meet them in two hours in the Common Room."

"Very well," Lenore agreed rather annoyed at Daphne's request

"If you will all excuse me," Blaise interrupted turning away from the group. He kept his strides quick, but not hurried as he fought to keep himself from sprinting to the Room of Requirements.

Daphne caught up with him a few moments later, jogging to keep up with his long strides. "Don't do this Blaise. She won't like it."

"What are you talking about?" he asked intent on making sure that Susan was truly untouched from her ordeal. Then he would determine how best to kill Malfoy.

"You were going to stay away from her. You made it clear to her that you weren't interested and now, look at you! She won't be receptive to your angry male attitude," Daphne warned.

"I'm not angry. I'm going to knock some sense into the girl and then I am going to knock some sense into my wonderful roommate," Blaise replied jerking open the door to the Room of Requirement.

"_Petrificus Totalis_," Daphne sighed freezing Blaise where he stood before the door.

"You are going to listen to me Blaise Zambini and then I will let you go do whatever fool thing has entered that dead zone you call a brain," she sneered. Daphne muttered the counter-curse as Blaise came back to life.

"Speak," he growled at her, but at least he hadn't opened the door.

Daphne met him glare for glare. "I'm your friend Blaise and you would do well to remember that right now."

Blaise nodded, attempting to rein his emotions back into control.

"Look, you hurt her not four hours ago when you made it perfectly clear to her and everyone else that you weren't interested. Now, I know why you think you had to do that, but you need to make some decisions before you go storming in there."

Blaise said nothing and Daphne plunged ahead, "Shouting at her like some over-protective Gryffindor isn't going to do anything but confuse her and hurt what little chance remains with her. That isn't going to get you anywhere close to what you want."

"Who says Susan Bones is what I want? I hardly know the girl," Blaise sneered back uncomfortable with the entire line of Daphne's thinking.

"You do. Right now. Look at you. If I hadn't stopped you, you were about to pull a Ron Weasley! I am preventing you from making a complete and utter fool of yourself again over this girl. You're upset and angry, but don't take it out on her. If you want to be with her, let her know. If you don't, then don't. Gad, Lenore and Gavin almost picked up on it! I know Lenore burned you, but Susan isn't that girl. Turn your brain on and start using it," Daphne thundered at Blaise, watching the typically emotionless Slytherin contemplate his response.

Blaise paced for a full minute before turning back to Daphne, obviously back in control of himself, "Very well, I like her," Blaise muttered quietly, loathe to say it out loud, but he couldn't deny his own anger just moments before.

"Now, start acting like it, rather than acting like some muscle-bound Gryffindor," Daphne replied. Blaise sneered at her in distaste before entering the Room of Requirement with Daphne at his heels, Lenore and Gavin were going to miss the most entertaining portion of the evening.

Ginny, Luna, Susan, and Neville sat on a few couches gathered around a low table laughing as Blaise entered the room.

The group rose to their feet and watched the Slytherin, his face even more emotionless than normal. Daphne followed Blaise smiling weakly as the cold Slytherin walked over to stand in front of Susan.

"I told you to be careful. I warned you not to upset him. Did you listen to anything I said?" he growled frowning down at Susan as she stood slightly off balance on her wounded leg.

"I heard every word," Susan replied glaring back at him, "We made your distraction and now the other Slytherins know that they have support against Malfoy. As I see it, we helped you tonight, exactly like you asked us to do. What precisely are you so upset about?" Susan asked her eyes narrowed.

Blaise looked down at the girl and alternately wanted to crush her to him, knock some sense in to her, and tell everyone how amazing she was for standing up to Malfoy. He chose the sense portion and added a touch of his patented sarcasm, "He's not going to forget this insult, Susan. Malfoy will make good on his threats. You challenged him in front of the entire school," Blaise pressed running his hand angrily through his dark hair. He wanted to pull her to him and reassure himself that she was fine, but he couldn't touch her. His anger and frustration were mounting as Susan got ready to reply.

"Ginny, what were you thinking?" Harry bellowed walking into the room with Ron and Hermione close on his heels. "Lavender told me what the two of you did during Dinner. Have you both lost your senses?"

"Have you lost your minds between you?" Ron added. "Neville, I thought you were going to make sure they were OK?"

"Don't even try to pin this on me Weasley. I'd like to see any of you try to stop those two," Neville said leaning on his crutches.

"I thought it was quite funny to watch Malfoy realize how many people disagree with his idea of how the school should be run," Luna added.

"I hardly think you are the one to yell at me about being in dangerous situations!" Ginny snapped back at Harry before rounding on Ron, "Either of you! Or did you forget the little stunt you pulled out in the Forbidden Forest today?"

"You can add the second and third stunts tonight!" Hermione added from beside Ron. "Or did you think I was going to forget about it in my relief to see you still alive?"

Ron looked back at Hermione, guilt crashing over him, "Hermione," he started smiling at her, trying to avert the argument he knew was coming.

"Don't Hermione me! You just yelled at Susan and Ginny for something so much less than what you yourself are guilty of," Hermione rounded on him.

"Besides, at least we had a good reason for what we did! We were standing in front of a bunch of professors with the entire school in the room. What did you think was going to happen?" Ginny asked looking back to Harry, her hands on her hips.

"It's not about dinner," Blaise answered her looking back to Susan, "It's about two weeks from now when you're walking alone back from the library and Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle surprise you in the hallway when no one is around."

"Once again, Zambini, I can take care of myself," Susan gritted out. Four hours ago he hadn't cared about her at all. Then she does what he asks and he gets protective? Susan was reaching the end of her patience with him.

Daphne looked around the silent room. Luna, Neville, and herself were the only ones not breathing heavily and angry for one reason or another. Not a good sign for their little group. "Well, this is terribly interesting," Daphne interrupted looking around the room.

The three fighting couples didn't even blink. Daphne frowned, but continued when no one spoke, "Very well. None of you are thinking very clearly. I think all you boys need to take a walk.

Ron turned to her, "Daphne, I don't think that is a good idea," he replied.

Daphne shook her head looking to Neville, "We'll be safe here and you can meet us back here in one hour when everyone has had time to clear their head."

"My head is clear," Blaise scoffed.

Neville gathered his crutches and moved over to Blaise, "Let's go get some air Zambini. She won't listen to you right now, no matter what you say."

"Neville," Susan argued turning her glare from Blaise over to Neville.

"Susan, we all need a break," Neville replied. "Besides, you know he's partially correct."

"Neville, you are imagining things," Susan exclaimed annoyed at the smug expression on Blaise's face.

"I'm not getting in the middle of this. Let's go Zambini," Neville started again motioning for Blaise to precede him. Blaise looked at the wounded Gryffindor and shrugged leaving the room.

"Ron, Harry, you too," Neville continued motioning for the others to follow Blaise.

Harry turned and walked out annoyed, pushing Ron in front of him, "One hour," Ron grumbled as he left.

Neville waited until the other three were out in the hall, "Luna, I'll see you in an hour, love."

"I know," Luna replied sitting down with a smile, "Take care of your self."

Once the five girls were left alone in the room, Daphne gestured towards the couches, "Perhaps we should all sit down."

Susan, Hermione and Ginny took one couch each frowning while Daphne and Luna shared the other. Daphne looked at the three angry girls across from her and sighed. Luna sat next to her, a wide smile across her face. Girl talk was not necessarily Daphne's favorite past time, but she knew when it was necessary. Unfortunately, now was one of those times.

"Who wants to go first?" Daphne asked the three frowning faces.

The blond, brunette, and the red head all pinned her with frowns and Daphne knew it wouldn't be easy.

Hermione sighed and shook her head, "I'll start. Susan, Ginny, the boys were right. Malfoy is not some one to trifle with. You had best be careful after your little discussion this evening."

"I can't believe him!" Susan exploded. "I swear, he's got two completely different personalities. He all but tells me he was spending time with me because of the issue with Malfoy and then he shows up acting all protective. What is wrong with him?"

Hermione smiled at Susan, patting her shoulder and looked over at Daphne, "You talked to him, didn't you?"

"I talked to him," Daphne confirmed. "Susan, look, there's something you should know about Blaise. He dated this girl for about a year and it turned out that she was only with him for his money. He's not exactly the trusting type, but Lenore really burned him. Now he's overly cautious about being put back in a situation like that. Beyond all that, he thinks he's protecting you. Part of that is my fault because I warned him that being seen with you would make you more of a target. Of course, when we talked, I wasn't expecting you to call Malfoy out in the Great Hall."

"Protecting me? That's mad," Susan growled. "I don't need his protection. I can take care of myself."

"Susan, why does Neville think it is personal with you and Malfoy?" Luna asked with her singsong voice.

"There's nothing personal between me and Malfoy," Susan replied.

"No, Neville said something like that earlier as well," Ginny added. "Susan, do you need to tell us something?"

Susan looked around the room and sighed. She preferred to keep things to herself when she could, but Susan sensed that the girls wouldn't let her leave without giving them an answer. "It's not about Malfoy. It's about my Aunt and Cedric."

"Your Aunt?" Hermione asked surprised. "Susan, what is going on?"

Susan sighed again and looked back at Hermione and the other girls in the circle. She trusted most of them, but she still found it difficult. "My parents and the Diggory's were and are good friends, as little kids Cedric and I played together all the time. How do you think I learned so much about Quidditch? At six, I thought I wanted to marry him," Susan laughed to herself.

"My parents and my Aunt were all Hufflepuffs. When Cedric got his letter to Hogwarts and was selected for Hufflepuff we were all thrilled. When I started, the Sorting Hat placed me in Hufflepuff without a second glance and I couldn't have asked for more. Cedric and I were close, but more like brother and sister and he helped me out through my first couple years at school. He even helped me practice enough to join the Quidditch team. He had a sense of honor and fairness about him that you can't help but respect. It's the same with my Aunt."

"After Cedric died, I thought my world had fallen apart. That summer I lived with my Aunt in London and she dragged me out of my own depression kicking and screaming. We started talking about people and respect. I realized that to honor Cedric's memory was to live as he would have lived. If he were here, I know what he would say, 'Susan, we can't allow this to continue. It is our responsibility to help.'"

"I spent last year hearing that voice in my head over and over again. Every time I saw something wrong, I wanted to stop it. I was overwhelmed, and honestly scared. I wrote to my Aunt about it and she reminded me that it isn't about all of the large things, it's about the small. She began encouraging me to work harder and try to be the person I felt I needed to be."

"So, I started training with the boys. I wouldn't be weak any longer, for Cedric and my Aunt. I'm going to help where I can, and right now, that means teaching Malfoy a lesson," Susan finished her face red.

Again the girls were silent, "Enough of this," Susan smiled. "Let's talk about anything else."

"Fine, let's finish discussing Blaise," Daphne smiled at the girl.

Susan's smiled turned to a frown, "There's nothing to discuss," she snapped. "The guy has two personalities, and right now I don't like either one."

"He just doesn't want to make you any more of a target than you all ready are. I think that's why he was so upset by your fight with Malfoy. He's worried. To him and honestly to myself, Malfoy is a House problem and outside involvement should not be necessary."

Susan frowned, "It's not a House problem Daphne. It's a school problem. Why can't either of you see that?"

"Perhaps because we are too close to the source? I have to admit that it still feels strange to me to be considering the entire school in what still feels like such a personal problem," Daphne replied.

"It's not even a school problem," Hermione spoke up, "Voldemort and his ilk are a plague to the entire wizarding community."

The room fell quiet as the girls remembered the latest Death Eater attacks, "Well, Blaise isn't the only one with the over-protective gene. I'm starting to think it is just part of being male," Ginny supplied trying to lighten the mood.

A chorus of laughter answered her, "At least Blaise is smart enough not to get himself hurt on a daily basis," Hermione added, immediately regretting her words.

"Ron has definitely been in a good number of dangerous situations," Daphne added remembering the orb from the Founder's room.

"Yes, he's amazing, but how many close calls can one person survive?" Hermione frowned. "He's so brave, I just wish sometimes that bravery came with a little more reserve. There are times when you have to fight and times when you don't have to go out of your way to get into danger. It's almost as if that line is blurring for him and it worries me," Hermione admitted.

"I don't know how you do it," Susan spoke up. "I don't know how I could sleep with that kind of worry all of the time."

"Ron's always been a bit unstable," Ginny added, "Mum thought he would calm down over time."

"How much time?" Hermione asked. "Sometimes I worry he won't learn caution until something really bad happens. In the mean time, all I can do is try to protect him as much as I can. It's just that I don't know what I would do without him."

"He loves you Hermione. Have you tried telling him just that? Maybe he will listen?" Luna suggested watching Hermione's eyes fill with tears.

"I don't know. I don't want him to change because of me. I want him to make his own decisions," Hermione replied.

"He still needs to know Hermione," Ginny spoke up. "You need to tell him again."

"I'll try. That's all I know to do for now," Hermione replied.

Again the room fell silent, and again Luna spoke up breaking the ice, "When are we going to try the Circle?"

"Circle?" Susan replied.

"What Circle?" Daphne concurred.

"I thought you were going to talk to them?" Luna asked Ginny and Hermione who reddened.

"I was going to, I just never had a good opportunity," Ginny muttered.

"Then why don't you fill us in?" Daphne replied with a quirk of her eyebrow.

Ginny sighed, "We found a Circle of power that used to be used by witches' covens."

"It predates the school," Hermione added, "It is ancient magic that I had an opportunity to research over the Holiday," Hermione added. "Ron bought me a book for Christmas discussing witches covens, the Circle and its ability to amplify a witch's power."

"Amplify?" Susan asked. "What do you mean?"

"The Circle combines all of the powers of the witches in the Coven and increases them. A full coven is twelve witches. We thought we would start with eight for an experiment," Hermione added. "There are side effects to its use."

"Continue," Daphne prompted curious in spite of herself.

"The Circle allows the witches to know each other's more private thoughts and emotions. There is a lot of trust involved in the Coven and it isn't something to enter into lightly," Hermione replied looking directly back at Daphne.

"Look, Hermione, about Ron. . . I am more than aware of how he feels about you," Daphne spoke up. Daphne remembered Ron's warning to find out what the girl's were up to and she sensed she would have to share something as well with this group.

Hermione nodded, but said nothing. She knew Ron loved her without a doubt, but she still didn't necessarily trust the Slytherin.

"And Blaise?" Susan asked surprising Hermione.

"Hardly. Blaise is too, well Blaise, to be anything more than a friend," Daphne replied laughing in spite of herself.

"Then who?" Ginny asked her curiosity getting the better of her. "Which House at least."

Daphne laughed as all four girls looked at her, "I'm not about to say anything. Let's just say the only one with potential has a girlfriend, so I'm waiting for something better," Daphne replied as close to honesty as she would allow herself. In her mind Daphne could hear his Irish brogue whispering her name, but it was a foolish thought for another time.

"Who else is in this Coven?" Susan asked changing the subject back to the Circle, "You said there were eight."

"Well, if you two accept, the five of us, Lavendar Brown, Parvati and Padma Patil," Ginny replied.

"And what are we going to do with this Circle?" Daphne asked looking back to Hermione. Not particularly impressed with the additions, but thinking of each as an individual, Daphne realized that each girl had different strengths to bring to the group.

"I thought we could start with Divination," Ginny spoke up. "Until we know how much power we are talking about I'd hate to over extend ourselves and alert everyone to the Circle."

Hermione nodded, but a look of disgust crossed her face, "It's a wise choice, but it's still Divination."

"There's another thing. We want to keep this as quiet as possible. We haven't told anyone, including Harry, Ron and Neville," Ginny added. "Even if you don't decide to join, I would appreciate it if you would continue to keep this a secret."

Susan nodded, "I actually like tarot reading," nudging Hermione on the shoulder, "Blaise explains a number of confusing readings I have had of late. I 'm in," Susan replied.

"So will I," Daphne added remembering Ron's request to find out what was going on with the girls, "When do we try this?"

"I'm not sure," Hermione replied. "It will be a week or two at least. There's a little more research I want to do before we make our attempt."

Daphne nodded, "Very well."

"We need chocolate cake," Ginny spoke up. "We can't really be having girl time without chocolate of some sort."

"At least no bad make-overs this time," Hermione quipped thankful that Lavender and Parvati weren't present to attack her once more.

The cake appeared on the table before them and Luna began cutting slices for each girl and then cutting four more as the boys had returned.

"You're late," Luna spoke as Neville hobbled into the room with Harry, Ron and Blaise following behind.

"I know, but at least I was careful," Neville replied sitting beside her and accepting the chocolate cake.

"So where have you four been?" Susan asked between bites of cake as she looked at Harry, Ron, and Blaise standing at the end of their couch. None of them moved towards the food.

"We went for a walk," Harry answered giving Ron and Blaise an odd look.

"A walk?" Ginny asked innocently, she knew Harry was hiding something from her.

"Yes, a walk around the Quidditch pitch," Ron said flopping down on an empty couch that appeared behind them.

The girls looked at each other with their disbelief evident. Harry sat down next to him and Blaise remained standing. The silence grew as the tension in the room became palpable. The weight of the required apologies pressed down on the boys, and the girls waited, not willing to forgive them without it. Daphne watched with some amusement as the three couples cast nervous glances at each other and then back away none of them were willing to take the first step. Harry and Ron also watched Blaise with some interest and Daphne suspected something had happened on their little walk.

In the end, it was Blaise who broke the silence first, muttering something about "Bloody tossers," he walked around the girl's couch to stand in front of Susan, his usual frown upon his face, "Susan, let's go for a walk. We need to talk."

"Are you sure you want to be seen with me? I'd rather you not change your mind half way through," She replied matching his frown with one of her own.

Blaise colored slightly and looked at the floor, flicking a quick glance over to where Harry and Ron sat, their wands resting in their hands. Blaise's frown deepened momentarily before he looked at her face again. She was angry, but he knew that she would give him another chance. It wasn't in her not too. It was part of the reason he wanted to speak with her. Blaise made a decision and replied honestly, "It is always an honor to be seen with you."

Susan flushed at his words, but she seemed confused and uncomfortable with the praise. Hermione took her plate from her as Susan rose to her feet, still favoring her sore leg. "Well, where shall we go then? I won't be very quick, but we can go."

"I know a place where we won't get disturbed. It's not far," Blaise told her with a genuine smile, glad that she had agreed. The smiled seemed out of place on the Slytherin, but Susan found she liked it better.

Susan nodded and smiled back at him as he gestured towards the door. Susan walked away with Blaise behind her; neither said a word to the others as they left the room.

Everyone watched, silent, as they left and then Ginny whirled around to face Harry, "Ok, spill it Potter, what did you guys do to Blaise?"

Harry looked at Ginny giving her his best puppy dog eyes routine, 'Why do you think we did anything?"

Ginny snorted as the other girls just laughed. "Because you are Harry Potter and you can't stay out of other people's business. Not to mention my brother went with you and he's as bad as you are."

"Hey what did I do?" Ron asked indignantly.

"That's what I'd like to know," Hermione said with a frown.

"They aren't going to buy it you two. They know you did something," Neville laughed.

"You were with us you know Neville," Harry shot back.

"Yes I was, but I wasn't the one who implied I would bite his head off if he hurt Susan," sniggered Neville as he wrapped his arm around Luna.

Hermione whipped her head around to stare at Ron as Harry broke up in laughter.

"I have to admit that it did seem to scare the shite out of him Ron. Well, as much as Blaise scares anyway," Harry gasped between breathes.

Ron had the good graces to look embarrassed as Hermione sputtered, "You threatened him? Just exactly what did you say?"

Neville saw an opportunity and answered Hermione before Ron could get the words out. "Oh, it wasn't what he said Hermione, it was what he did."

Hermione folded her arms over her chest and asked coldly, "Well Neville, exactly what did Ron do?"

Harry waved both of his arms and got their attention, "Please, please let me tell her Neville." Ron glared at him and Neville just nodded amusedly.

"Since we had missed dinner, Ron, Neville and I decided to talk to him in the kitchen after the walk around the Quidditch pitch. After we had eaten a bit, we tried talking to him about Susan. Well, he wasn't going to have any of it and he almost walked out. Things got really tense and then Ron went to the pantry and pulled out a raw slab of ribs."

Harry's smile got even bigger as he saw the blank looks on the girl's faces and the stormy expression on Ron's face. "You should have seen the look on Blaise's face when Ron changed to his lion form and ate a whole raw slab of ribs, bones and all."

Hermione scrunched up her face, "I don't see what that has to do with Blaise though."

"Neither did he, but you will when I've finished." Harry smirked with a Dumbledore like twinkle in his eyes. "Once he was finished, Ron changed forms again and looked Blaise in the eyes and said, 'Anybody who hurts Susan will get treated just like those ribs."

Hermione's eyes grew round as saucers as Ginny howled with laughter. Hermione however did not seem to see the humor in the threat. "Ronald Weasley, you cannot go around threatening people whenever you want to."

Ron stood up and looked down at her face, flushing as he spoke. "I didn't threaten him Hermione. I just let him know how things were. Not too mention I wasn't the only one you know. Neville threatened to use his crutch in a very inappropriate manner if Blaise kept it up and well, Harry promised to try out his latest curses on him," Ron continued not about to be the only one to get in trouble.

"Neville," Luna growled pulling away from him.

"Harry," Ginny warned.

Daphne watched the whole thing absolutely amused, "Don't be too mad. I know Blaise and I bet it took all three of them, including the lion to bring him back into line. Blaise isn't easily intimidated and even then I'm surprised he listened."

"See, Daphne understands," Ron smiled down at the blond Slytherin. Hermione frowned even further, but he turned back to her, "I would also like to point out that things are looking a lot better for them right now. At least they are trying to be friends."

"I can't argue with that," Hermione huffed, "But how did a threat do that?"

"It wasn't just the threat. I gave him some advice about dating difficult women," Ron smirked.

"This has to be good," Ginny scoffed as Hermione's eyes hardened.

"Oh, and what precisely did you say?" she asked crossing her arms across her chest.

"Well, I said that as much as you want to protect Susan, she is too proud and too willful to let that happen. I also told him that any woman worth having was going to be difficult and that the best thing he could do is to be honest with her. Then I mentioned all the times we fought before we got things straightened out. I was trying to save them from the fights and let them get to the good part," he grinned looking over at Hermione.

"Did you think to ask Susan if she wanted to get to the good part?" Hermione questioned still not persuaded.

"Well no, but I think we all know she does. I can tell that you think she does too Hermione," Ron replied defensively.

"What I think doesn't matter. What matters is that you shouldn't interfere in people's lives unless you know for certain what they want," Hermione replied rising to her feet.

"Harry Potter, I expect you, of all people, would understand how people interfering can make you mad," Ginny added as she moved to stand beside Hermione.

"We were just looking out for a friend Ginny," Harry retorted.

The disbelief on Ginny's face was easy to read and she gathered herself to reply when Luna stepped in between the two groups, "You know when the Three Ridged Cloud Bat gets scared it makes a high pitched sound in the face of its mate. It's a good thing that people don't do that, don't you think?"

Everyone turned to look at Luna in silence.

Luna smiled at all of them, "Well, as much fun as this has been, Neville and I have an appointment we have to get to."

"We do?" Neville asked rising unsteadily to his feet, his crutches awkward trapped between the couch and the table.

Luna smiled even brighter but her eyes narrowed slightly, "Yes Neville, we do. I'm sure it will come to you on the way there." Luna took the perplexed looking Neville by the hand and led him from the Room of Requirements.

As soon as they left, Ron turned to the remaining students, "Luna sure has been good for Neville, but boy does she boss him around."

Harry and Ginny stared at Ron in astonishment. Finally Ginny managed to asked, "Don't you think there is another couple at Hogwarts that has that same dynamic going?"

Ron frowned, "Not like that I don't."

"Well, if you keeping acting like an idiot, I'm going to start bossing you around," Hermione snarled in a voice that had more than a bit of Professor McGonagall in it.

"So now I'm an idiot, am I?" Ron shot back as his face colored a deep red.

"That's not what I said Ronald, so stop being difficult."

"That's what you meant though isn't it? I know you're smarter than me Hermione, everyone knows it. You don't have to rub it in though." Ron said in a tone a bit more sharp than he had intended.

Harry stepped in between the two of them and up both of his hands up, "This is not how we need to spend the night before we go after the Cauldron. Not to mention you two hate it when you fight and feel miserable after you do, so why not skip the whole thing and just be nice to each other?"

"Harry, I do hate fighting with Ron but this is a talk we need to have," Hermione sighed.

"Then let's have the talk right after we get the Cauldron. We'll go somewhere quiet and make sure everything is fine," Ron said softly to Hermione as he reached out his hand to her.

"Now that everything is calm, I think I'll go down to the dungeons and see if everything is still quiet. Blaise should be back there by now. I'm afraid we also have a rather pressing appointment," Daphne said standing up.

The four Gryffindors bid Daphne good night and they left for their common room as well. The two couples walked hand in hand, mostly in silence as their thoughts turned to differing matters. None of them realized what Daphne had overheard.

Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived in the kitchens right after breakfast and both Harry and Hermione were startled to see Val standing in the middle of a crowd of nervous acting house elves.

"So where do we start?" Val asked with a smirk.

Hermione looked sharply at Ron, "I take it you informed her of what is going to happen?"

Ron looked around the room before answering, "Yes I did. Now if you will excuse me, I have something to take care of."

Ron ducked out of the Kitchen and into a darkened alcove before quickly casting the armoring spell. Once he felt the armor and sword fall into place he returned to where the other three were waiting for him, the change in him more than just in his armor.

"Good to see you again Val," he said with a nod of his head.

"Always a pleasure Fury," she smiled in answer.

"If you two are finished, we have business to get on with," Harry paused for a moment but continued, "Also I have to say that you look ridiculous in that costume, mate. Doesn't he Hermione?"

Harry waited to hear Hermione agree with him only to turn and see her shaking her head and giving Ron such an openly appraising look that Harry felt embarrassed to have witnessed it. Ron turned and looked to Hermione as well when he realized just what he was seeing. She was impressed and Ron couldn't help but feel proud that he had been able to amaze her.

Ron and Hermione appraised each other for an intimate moment, until Hermione shook her head again as if to clear it. "We should attempt to get this done with a few distractions as possible." Ron couldn't help but agree with her nodding in understanding. The last thing he needed was to lose focus because she was admiring him from afar.

"It's not Potter and I that are distracted," Val smirked. This time it was Harry that was distracted. Something about the smirk and her tone of voice was familiar to him.

Hermione's cheeks colored a bit but she responded quickly, "That's good to know Val. Try to keep it that way."

Val opened her mouth to retort but at that moment the elderly house elf walked up to them, "I see the champions are ready, but there are now four of you?"

Ron nodded, "That's not a problem, is it?"

"No, of course not," the house elf assured them. "The challenges will adapt to meet the number of challengers."

The house elf led them past several large pantries and through a series of corridors which ended at a large wooden door adorned with a large Hogwarts crest. When they reached this door the house elf bowed to them and bid them good luck. They watched the house elf shuffle away from the door in silence, the seriousness of their situation crashing down on them.

The four looked at each other for a moment and then Fury reached out and opened the door. A blast of cold musty air escaped through the now open door and then everything went quiet. Fury looked back at the others and then shrugged and walked through the door into the torch lit corridor. Hermione moved to follow behind him, but Val cut her off and moved instead. Hermione opened her mouth to say something about it when Harry grabbed her arm and whispered in her ear, "When he's Fury she's his partner, remember?"

Hermione pulled a face, but stayed silent and followed closely behind Val, not willing to let Ron out of her sight. The four of them walked for about fifteen minutes through what seemed to be similar to any other hallway at Hogwarts, when they came to an open archway which led into a large circular chamber. The archway was delicately inscribed with silver runes which seemed to glow in the poorly lit corridor.

Fury, Val and Harry all turned to Hermione with a questioning look. Hermione looked more than a little pleased with her self as she scanned the runes, and through a second time to be sure. "The runes are simple enough. 'Only the strong hand can pave the path to victory' is what they say. Though what they mean is anyone's guess. "

"Well there's only one way to find out right?" Harry questioned.

Ron nodded at him and then walked through the archway into the room beyond. Torches lit along the walls at their presence, illuminating the eight statues of medieval warriors in full armor that dominated the circle. A doorway stood in the far end, presumably where they should continue.

The walls were adorned with murals depicting battles scenes from various periods in the past. They all seemed entranced as the figures in the murals struggled in eternal combat with each other. Watching the battles behind them, it was Harry that noticed that the statues started to move towards them as they fought to pull their eyes away from the murals.

"Don't look at the murals," Harry growled focusing instead on the eight foot statue that approached. Him.

Val pulled out her wand and turned to the others, "I don't think they are moving towards us for nothing."

Harry, Fury and Hermione nodded in grim agreement. Hermione was the first one to act as she shouted "Reducto" and her spell hit the closest statue to them. The spell barely broke the statues stride as it drew its sword in response. The other statues followed suit.

Harry's eyes grew larger in shock and then he screamed out, "Diffindo" casting the cutting spell at a different statue. This spell also failed to have any effect.

The lead statue raised its sword and aimed a wicked cut at Hermione's head. Hermione ducked out of the way and started moving to her right as the statue pulled its sword into a downward slash aimed at opening Hermione's belly. Harry called out a warning to her as she gasped, half expecting to feel the biting pain of a sword piercing her stomach.

The only thing she did feel however was a gust of wind as a sword flashed in front of her to parry the statue's sword. A moment later a second sword struck the statue on its brow and the head shattered. Hermione felt a set of hands pull her backwards as Fury and Val stepped in front of her. "I don't think magic will work on them Hermione." Harry shouted as she struggled to keep from being pulled out of the room.

'I know that Harry," she shouted right back. "We can't just leave them."

"We have to," Harry growled watching as Fury and Val fought together against the seven remaining statues. Hermione fought against his grip, but he didn't let her go, "This is something they have trained to do, look at them!"

Hermione turned and watched the fight as one of the statue's swords slipped past Fury's guard and slammed into his thigh. Fury grunted a bit, but his thigh armor held and managed to block the sword cut. Harry could tell it was taking a lot out of both Fury and Val just to keep from getting hit by one of the swords. Val gasped as one of the statues got under her guard and left a shallow cut along her upper arm.

Fury swung his sword at the statue that had just cut Val. The statue parried Fury's sword, but that left its side open and Val took advantage of it to thrust deep into its side and it crumbled to the ground. The remaining six statues were pressing Fury and Val hard and it was all they could do to keep from getting pushed out of the doorway. If they let the statues through the doorway they would be able to spread out. Then they would be able to get to Harry and Hermione who didn't have a way to fight them. Both Fury and Ron also knew that if they got behind them they could easily be killed by a blade in the back.

"We can't let them through the door," Fury growled to Val as he blocked another thrust, wishing for one of the broad shields from the practice rooms at the Order.

Val nodded in response doubling her attack and falling back, "Lets get beyond the arch ourselves, it will limit their range," she answered stepping backward hoping that the fool Granger and Potter were smart enough to stay out of their way.

Fury also fell back, slowly, his anger and fury driving him on. If they failed, Harry and Hermione would be left defenseless. Too much was at stake to let something happen to either one of them. Val seemed to sense the same thought. It was enough to keep them both fighting as sweat started to run down their faces and the muscles of their sword arms began to burn. Fury's face tightened in concentration as his mind raced feverishly in search of a way to turn the situation to their advantage. Just as Fury was about to despair an idea flashed through his mind and with out a second thought, he acted on it.

Fury stuck his left leg out just a bit further than it needed to be and pulled his sword into the guard position. The statue in front of him slashed at Fury's exposed thigh. Fury was ready for the stroke and swept his sword downwards, severing the arm holding the statue's sword as it hit his leg, blood gushing out from the new wound.

The statue swung its other arm at Fury, but he parried it easily and drove the point of his blade into the statue's chest. As the statue crumbled Ron ripped his sword clear and aimed a back hand at the statue fighting Val. The statue saw the sword aimed toward its unprotected side, and it turned to meet it. Val's sword flashed as she neatly severed the statue's left leg. Quickly reversing her stroke, she brought the blade across its neck and watched as the head went tumbling along the floor.

Two more statues stepped up to replace their fallen comrades. The first slashed its sword at Fury's face and he only just managed to parry the blow. He could feel the wind on his face from where the stroke had passed. The second statue aimed a back hand at Val and she moved her sword up to parry. At the last moment, the statue changed the angle and lunged in front of Val reaching across her and burying the tip of his blade in a gap in Fury's armor just above his hip bone. Blood started to stream from the wound as soon as the statue pulled the sword. Val shrieked and smashed through the head of the statue in front of her. Only three remained.

Val took a chance and glanced at Fury, alarmed at how pale his face seemed beneath the mask they both wore. Fury reached up and caught the arm of the statue facing him and pushed it to the side. Then he lashed out with his sword and opened the belly of the statue he was engaged with. Val gave a shout of triumph as the last of the two statues moved to engage them. It was short lived as she saw the large amount of blood now staining Fury's armor. Behind them Harry was restraining Hermione as she struggled to get to Fury.

"Harry, I might be able to heal him if you let me go," she snarled as she fought to break his grip on her.

"Don't be stupid Hermione," Harry snarled, his grip firm around her. "You'd get cut in half if you even got near them. If the statues didn't kill you, then those two would by accident."

"I have to do something Harry," she said imploringly continuing to struggle against him. Tears flowing freely down her face.

Harry just grabbed her tighter and shook his head.

In the meantime, Val parried a blow from one of the statues and with a quick flip of the wrist flicked her sword across the statues throat. The statue grabbed at its throat and then its head slowly fell backwards and toppled off its shoulders. Val turned to the remaining statue to see its sword crash along the chain shirt that protected Fury's torso. Fury grimaced in pain and brought his sword down to trap the blade against his body. Fury turned his eyes up to look at Val as she buried her sword in the statues armpit.

Fury and Val stood there for a moment while the sound of their breathing echoed in the corridor. The silence rang in their ears. Then, as Hermione finally pulled out of Harry's arms and moved towards Fury, Fury let his sword fall to the floor with a clang and followed it soon after.


	72. Standing on Ceremony

"No!" Hermione cried, running over to her fallen knight. Val stood, shaking, her breathing still harsh from her exertions. Harry followed at a slower pace, worried at the amount of blood on the floor.

Hermione slipped her hands under Fury and moved him as gently as possible. His armor creaked and ground against the stone floor as Hermione rolled him onto his back. She opened his faceplate and saw how pale his skin was. He winced at the movement, but then looked up into her eyes and tried to smile. "You know Hermione; I believe I've felt better."

Hermione tried to smile as Harry and Val joined her around Fury's form. Harry knelt down at Hermione's side and his knee landed in a growing pool of blood. He jumped to his feet and tried to wipe it off of his trousers. His green eyes met Val's and they both worried.

Val took one look at Fury's wounds and turned to Hermione. "Can you heal him?" she barked at the trembling witch. Hermione took a deep breath and examined Fury's wounds as quickly as possible. She turned to Val after a moment and shook her head, "I can slow the bleeding, but I can't fix it."

"Then do it and do it quickly. As soon as you do, I'll get him some help and you and Potter can go after the Cauldron," Val said furiously.

Hermione cast the spell and examined the large gash across Ron's leg once again. "It helped, but he's still losing blood." Harry's head jerked up at the hint of panic in Hermione's voice.

"Hermione, let Val take him to the hospital wing," Harry said softly reaching out to put a hand on Hermione's shoulders.

"Maybe I should go with him," Hermione said looking up into Harry's eyes pleadingly.

Harry couldn't blame her, he didn't particularly want to leave Ron alone as well. It was Val that made the decision for both of them.

"You know more about the Cauldron than anyone Granger, you have to keep going." Val retorted as she waved her wand "Winguardium Leviosa" and started back down the corridor as quickly as she could lead Fury behind her.

"Val, send word to Ginny, Susan, or Neville. Someone needs to stay with him," Harry added as the two knights left.

Hermione stood, torn, and Harry sighed looking down at her, "I know you're worried. I am too. But you know how he is. If we don't get the Cauldron he's going to blame himself."

Hermione nodded for a moment and looked back up at Harry, "Why does it always seem to be Ron who gets hurt lately?"

Harry didn't have an answer for that so he turned to look back in the chamber. The room was now clear and the corridor on the other side seemed to be lit by torches now.

"Harry?" Hermione pressed needing him to say something.

"Hermione, how would I know? I think that's a question better left for him," he growled at her, mad at the entire situation.

Hermione's eyes filled with tears as she looked back towards the door Val and Fury had just left. "Do you think he's unstable like the Order was worried about?" she whispered.

Harry looked back towards the far door once more. Ron's aggression, his drive and determination over the past year, his second serious injury in as many days, the bruises from practice, the attacks, his shape changing ability and the newspaper article that followed, the list went on an on and that was only this past school year. Moody's voice echoed in Harry's ears, "Constant vigilance!"

"Constant vigilance," Harry whispered out loud. "Hermione, all we can do is the best we can. Ron's a fighter. He'll be waiting for us when we get back."

"Yes, but Harry, he's so reckless," Hermione frowned. "It's almost as if he is looking for a fight. I'm worried. This weekend he has gone too far. I have to talk to him. There has to be something he isn't telling us."

Harry shrugged as he looked back at Hermione. Ron was in for it when Hermione told him what exactly was on her mind. "I guess its ok for us to go down that corridor now," he changed the subject motioning towards the now lit corridor.

Hermione nodded and they walked towards the corridor, wands at the ready.

They followed the corridor for several hundred meters where it ended in a plain wooden door. Harry reached out and grabbed the handle. He half expected it to be locked, but to his surprise, it opened easily. The door opened to reveal what appeared to be a well stocked and extremely well kept potions laboratory. Harry stopped inside the door, and motioned for Hermione to step forward with a smile, "I believe this is right up your alley Hermione."

Hermione only nodded as her eyes examined the room furiously. The room contained almost all of the equipment she had ever researched for brewing potions. Several tables contained dozens of ingredients some of which she had never seen before. She stepped over to one of the tables where an intricate set of scales rested and started to pick it up when Harry called out to her, "Hermione, what do you think this is?"

Hermione turned to see Harry reach for a beaker full of a silvery liquid. A sudden flash of movement caught her eyes and she gasped as the triangular head of a green serpent came into view from behind one of the iron flasks on the table. The serpent sank it's fangs into Harry's forearm and then vanished behind several bags of potion ingredients. Harry let out a yelp and grasped at his arm as he quickly backed away from the table.

Hermione rushed over and looked at his arm. Without saying a word, she reached out and grabbed one of the beakers lying close by. She placed the beaker under Harry's arm and then squeezed his forearm as hard as she could. Harry winced, but didn't pull away from her, as a dark viscous fluid oozed out of his arm along with small amounts of blood and fell into the beaker.

"Hermione, you know I trust you, but what in the bloody hell are you doing?" Harry asked rubbing his arm and staring at her in confusion.

"That was a green ash winder Harry. Their venom is quite deadly and I don't have a lot of time to get the antidote done. So I didn't have time to explain and be gentle with you." Hermione looked up at him and gave him a reassuring smile as she added several ingredients to the beaker she had started with.

"Uhhh Hermione, you do know the antidote, don't you?" Harry asked her feeling a little light headed.

"Of course I do," she snapped as she continued to gather ingredients together.

"Hermione, have you ever done this before?" Harry continued with a catch in his voice.

Hermione shook her head, pausing for a moment, "No I haven't Harry. Now, could you please start a fire over there and get a cauldron warming for me?"

As quickly as he could, Harry got a fire going and placed a standard size cauldron over the fire. His wounded arm began to burn and tickle as the poison spread, but he ignored it as best he could. He tried to focus on helping Hermione, but it was a struggle.

In the meantime, Hermione had gathered several more items and was carefully weighing them in the intricate scale she had been examining just a few moments before. Harry recognized the look she had on her face as the one she had when she was trying to do particularly well on a test.

"Harry, how are you feeling?" she asked as she began adding ingredients to the cauldron.

"I'm fine. What next?" he asked needing to keep busy.

"I need you to tell me how your symptoms are progressing. It will help me gauge how much time we have," Hermione replied, her hands flying as she continued to prepare her ingredients.

Harry paused for the moment considering how to best answer her question, "I feel a bit flushed and my mouth is dry. That could just all be from knowing I got bitten by a deadly snake though. My arms tingling a bit, but nothing really serious."

Hermione nodded, but never looked up from the cauldron she was working at. Harry paced back and forth trying not to distract her from her task while keeping an eye out for the green ashwinder if it made a second appearance.

"Harry sit down right now, you are only helping your heart spread the poison around," Hermione snarled.

Harry turned pale and sat down in the middle of the floor right where he stood. Not moments later he felt nauseous and his arm was getting worse. "Hermione my stomach is starting to cramp pretty badly and my arm, well it feels like it is burning."

Hermione's head shot up and she turned to look at him for a moment, her face a blank mask. It didn't make Harry feel any better, "Ok Harry, this shouldn't take too much longer."

Harry's relief at her words was brief until he noticed that Hermione frowned when she turned back to the potion she was brewing.

Hermione wiped the sweat off of her forehead and reached over to the table to add several pinches of bat wing to the liquid. There was a loud hiss as the ingredients hit the boiling surface of the liquid. Harry gave out a cry of pain and clutched at his stomach causing Hermione to flinch. "Alright there Harry?"

Harry ground his teeth for a moment, struggling to speak as the pain coursed through his body. "Never better," he managed to spit out between clenched teeth.

Hermione added another ingredient and stirred it clock wise three times. Then she turned back to the table and reached out for something only to pause and let out a sharp gasp.

"What's wrong Hermione?" Harry asked between breaths.

"I can't remember if the last ingredient is unicorn hair or manticore hair," she shrieked in frustration.

Even as his stomach clenched again Harry could see Hermione's hands were shaking and she looked on the verge of tears. The last thing they needed was for Hermione to start doubting her self, "I trust you Hermione, I now you'll figure out which one it is."

Hermione blinked back a tear and smiled at Harry for a second then turned and reached for a glass vial. With a delicate set of tongs she pulled out one shining silver hair and dropped it into the mixture. The hair made a slight 'poof' and Hermione stirred counter clockwise eleven times. She dipped a ladle into the cauldron and poured the contents of the ladle into a flask. Running over to Harry she lifted the flask to Harry's lips and poured it into his mouth.

"This is going to hurt a bit Harry. There isn't anything I can do about that. I'm sorry," she whispered.

Harry opened his mouth to tell her not to worry about it when liquid fire flashed down his throat into his stomach. The pain was ten times worse than the pain before and in the back of his mind he thought that the cure might be worse than the poison. Harry rolled on the floor fighting and then failing as the urge to scream overwhelmed him. He could feel Hermione hands trying to hold him still, but his convulsions were too violent for her to restrain him.

Just as Harry thought he was going to die the pain seemed to lesson a bit. It took only a few minutes for the pain to disappear completely only to be replaced by an intense soreness. After a moment of lying on the floor Harry managed to sit up and give Hermione a weak smile.

"How are you feeling Harry?" Hermione asked unable to keep the concern out of her voice.

"Thanks to you, I feel alright. I'm really sore, but I have a feeling I'll be fine in a minute or two."

"Good," Hermione replied shakily, her voice breaking, "because I don't think I can do this without either of you two."

Harry patted her hand gently as Hermione's eyes filled with tears again and then she laughed, "Besides, I'd rather not tell Ginny any bad news, if it's all the same to you. I think I know what Susan and Neville were so worried about."

Harry managed to chuckle at Hermione for a moment before slowly standing up. Hermione watched him stand and then asked, "Are you sure you are alright Harry?"

"Well, I've felt better, but then again, I've felt a lot worse as well. Let's get this damn Cauldron so we can get the hell out of here."

Hermione nodded, ignoring his cursing, "Yes let's, I don't think I can stand to not know how Ron is for much longer."

"He's tough Hermione, maybe more than we gave him credit for. You know that Professor Lupin thinks he's a lot like Sirius," Harry managed to say with a smile.

"So do I and it scares me Harry. Look what happened to Sirius," Hermione stammered seeming to be on the verge of tears again.

Harry reached out and pulled Hermione to him, "I said Lupin thought he was like Sirius but he's not exactly like Sirius. Besides Sirius, didn't have a stubborn witch like you to keep him in line."

Harry's teasing tone managed to bring the ghost of a smile to Hermione's face. "Ok Harry, I see your point. Why don't we try to find out what the next challenge is and how we get to it?"

"I don't know what the next challenge is but I know how we get there," Harry replied releasing her.

"How?" Hermione asked perplexed.

"Through that door," Harry said pointing towards a door that Hermione was sure hadn't been there when they had entered the room.

The new door seemed ordinary enough, no different than the dozens of doors that were spread out through the castle. Even though it was to all outward appearances a normal door, Harry could sense the power thrumming behind it. The power seemed benign, but somehow alien to Harry. For a moment, the vibrating power seemed to overwhelm him, but then it seemed to flow past him and it didn't seem quite as foreign as before, but it no longer seemed benign.

"Can you feel it Harry? Does it call to you like a song?" Hermione whispered.

Harry shook his head, "No, I can sense it, and I know I have to go in there, but whatever it is, isn't meant for me. Truthfully, it scares me just a little."

If this surprised Hermione, she did an admirable job of hiding it. Instead, she seemed to glide towards the door and gently placed her hand on it for a moment. Then she turned to face Harry with a slight smile playing on her lips. "This is your test Harry. You will have to trust me when I say you are more than ready for the task."

Harry looked at her doubtfully, "How do you know that Hermione?"

"Do you think it was chance that made you the Boy-Who-Lived? We know you are the one of the prophecy. I think it is safe to say that you will manage to win through whatever challenge is set before you by one who would have been so very friendly to our cause."

"Hermione are you feeling alright?" Harry asked concerned.

Hermione waved his question aside as if it was of no importance. "Go now Harry and face your demons. Return to me, certain in the knowledge of your ability. Do this now and quickly for I must soon return to my knight who is in grave peril."

Harry didn't even take the time to question Hermione about how she knew Ron was in danger or why she spoke the way she did. Worry over his best mate hastened his footsteps as he strode quickly through the door and threw it open, his wand drawn.

He burst into a large square chamber which held a glowing blue Cauldron resting in the center of a silver, five pointed star. The soothing light of the Cauldron began to disappear; overshadowed by the largest Dementor Harry had ever seen. The Dementor glided towards him and Harry felt all the fears he had never given names to, rise up and choke the breath from him.

"Expecto Patronum" Harry shouted as his mind franticly sought for a good memory to power his Patronus. The silver stag burst forth from Harry's wand and galloped towards the Dementor only to run right through it. The Dementor continued to glide towards Harry unaffected by the spell. Harry panicked, his mind frantic for a moment until he had a second though. Harry grinned as he raised his wand again and shouted, "Ridikulous!"

The grin faded quickly when the Dementor failed to be the boggart he had hoped. The Dementor stopped just inches away from Harry and instead of the horrid face bending to administer the Kiss, Harry was flooded with images of Voldemort standing in the graveyard in Little Hangleton where Cedric had died. Then, the image changed to Voldemort forcing him and Hermione to watch as Ron was tortured to madness and then given to his lackeys to finish off.

Dimly, Harry could hear Hermione yelling something, but the roaring in his ears made it impossible for him to distinguish it. Harry's thoughts jumbled together as he tried to remember anything he could use to help against the numbing effects of this Dementor. He could see an image of Professor Lupin as he first explained how to produce a Patronus that day in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom reminding him that he needed a truly happy thought to cast the Patronus charm.

Then it came to him, as if a switch had been thrown on in his mind. Harry reached out and grabbed the Dementor by its cloak and pulled it to him.

"If you want happy thoughts, I'll give you all you can handle," Harry snarled.

Harry forced himself to relax and let the images come as they would. Much like the scenes of Ron's life in the orb of fire, images of Harry's life flashed through his mind at a frantic pace. His Hogwarts letter coming in the mail, the trip through Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Then meeting Ron on the train quickly followed by his first sight of Hermione.

Harry felt his fear ebbing as the sheer joy of life flooded through him. He recalled his adventures with Ron and Hermione over the years and then his mind filled with soft red hair and an impish smile. From their first meeting when she had put her elbow in the butter dish to flying together on the Quidditch pitch, Ginny Weasley had always surprised him. Now she surprised him yet again with how deeply she had ingrained her essence into his life.

Harry's hands dropped to his sides as he finally understood that despite their bantering, teasing Ron and Hermione, meeting late in the Astronomy Tower for rare time alone, Harry had fallen head over heels for Ginny. It was she, along with Ron and Hermione, that Harry thought of when it mattered. So lost in this revelation, Harry never saw the Dementor collapse in on itself and vanish without a whimper.

Only when he felt Hermione touch him on the shoulder did Harry come out of his reverie. His eyes focused slowly on her face as she smiled hesitantly up at him. He felt her brush something off of his face when he noticed his eyes had gone moist.

"I think I'm allergic to something in here," he said quietly, not wanting to discuss the Dementor and his own visions.

Hermione smiled at him for a moment and then nodded, "Must be all the dust," she replied softly, gesturing to the immaculate room they stood in.

Hermione walked over to where the Cauldron sat still glowing but much less brighter than before. Harry watched her closely as she gazed into it for a moment and then turned to Harry. "Harry, can you take this to Dumbledore's office? I need to get to the Hospital wing and I'd rather not have to wait until this is delivered."

Harry looked at her closely for a minute, uncertain, something was odd with Hermione, but he couldn't put his finger on it, "Sure Hermione. I can take it," he offered, dreading the thought of actually touching the cauldron. Harry had the distinct impression that it didn't want him to touch it.

"Thanks Harry," Hermione smiled again, "Oh, one more thing, don't touch the Cauldron. It's not for you."

Harry frowned confused, "You'll have to carry it. Casting spells on it isn't a good idea either," Hermione continued her voice still distant, but she waited for a response.

Harry wrapped his cloak around his arms, worried about Ron, but not wanting to hold Hermione back any longer than necessary, "You go on and I'll get this to Dumbledore."

With a barely perceptible nod, Hermione turned and raced down the passageway back to the kitchens. Harry let out a loud sigh and lifted the cauldron, thankful for the weight training Ron had forced on him. The cauldron was going to be heavy by the time he reached Dumbledore's office.

Hermione felt her throat constrict with fear as she rounded the corner of the corridor and saw both Ginny and Luna waiting at the door to the Hospital Wing.

"How is he?" Hermione asked between gasping for air.

"How is who?" Ginny replied.

"How is Ron, for god's sake?" Hermione snapped.

Ginny looked confused, "Oh, I don't know. I thought he was with you."

"He was hurt pretty badly, Ginny. Val said she was going to take him to get help," Hermione's face twisted with rage. "That slag kidnapped Ron and has taken him to Merlin knows where."

"Who's Val and why do you think she kidnapped Ron?" Ginny continued mystified.

"She's in the bloody Order he's in," Hermione snarled and then turned on her heels and raced back the way she had come from. "She's had it!" Hermione growled under her breath.

Luna regarded the sight of Hermione running through the halls for a moment and then turned to Ginny, "I didn't know your brother was in an Order. What's an Order?"

Ginny shook her head, "I have no idea. He's not in the only one I know of," she replied.

Luna looked at Ginny and shook her head, "Was that what we were waiting on? We've been up here since breakfast."

"What do you mean?" Ginny replied confused at Luna's question.

"Ginny, we've been sitting up here for three hours studying for our O.W.L.s. and you've been jumping at every noise like you were waiting for something," Luna replied.

Ginny looked around the hall for a moment and sighed, "I just needed to be here, Luna. I just… I had this feeling that something important was going to happen."

Luna smiled and handed the red head her bag, "What makes you think it hasn't happened all ready?"

In the meantime, Hermione flew by several students shouting at them to get out of her way. In her rage, she even told the Ravenclaw prefects to sod off after they tried to caution her about running in the corridors. Normally, Hermione would have been winded by the run from the Hospital Wing to Professor Dumbledore's office, this time though her anger filled her with excess energy.

"Pepper Imps," she screamed at the gargoyles in front of the Professor's office. Not even slowing down, Hermione ran through the door, up the stairs, and barreled into the office.

The door flew open to reveal Hermione, her hair wild, and her face red. Both Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall stared at her with great interest and Professor Snape seemed to be regarding her with poorly masked disdain.

"That blonde tart has kidnapped Ron," Hermione growled at Professor Dumbledore.

"Miss Granger, that is no way to speak to your Headmaster," Professor McGonagall admonished.

"How should I speak to him? Ron almost died looking for the Cauldron and now he's gone. When I get my hands on her she'll wish she had never been born," Hermione continued turning on Professor McGonagall.

Professor Dumbledore stood up raising his hands, "Miss Granger, if you will please take a moment and collect yourself. We can talk about this all calmly."

Hermione looked incredulous, "Calmly?" she sputtered, "How am I supposed to be calm? Ron needs to be in the Hospital Wing where Madame Pomfrey can take care of him!"

"Ah, the self righteous anger that only a Gryffindor can muster. Have you lost all trust in Professor Dumbledore, Miss Granger?" Hermione was not looking at the speaker, but she could see his sneer in her mind before she turned to see it on his face.

The sheer rage on Hermione's face, along with her wand pointed directly at Professor Snape, surprised him enough to cause him to recoil from her for a moment before he managed to compose himself and return her glare with one of his own.

Hermione didn't budge, her rage turning into disdain and loathing, "That's rich! You? Talking about trust? You're the one who's still fighting battles from your childhood. It's you that's been horrible to Harry because you didn't like his father. You're the one with the Dark Mark on his arm," Hermione walked towards Professor Snape punctuating her accusations with her wand. "Maybe you changed sides but you were evil enough to take it in the first pace," Hermione finished glaring up at the greasy Professor, her wand pointed in his chest.

Snape paled and opened his mouth to retort, when Hermione whirled around on Dumbledore with tears in her eyes, "I used to think you were perfect! I never thought I could be mad at you for anything, but you lied! You lied to Harry. You never let him know about Sirius until you had to. Then, he had to hear the Prophecy in the Department of Mysteries instead of here in your office. How can we trust you or anyone again?"

The sadness etched on Dumbledore's face almost broke Hermione's heart, but her anger was still too hot, to admit it. With her hands clenched at her side she stared at him defiantly.

When Dumbledore spoke his voice almost broke and he leaned heavily on his desk, "If I ever led you to believe I was perfect, Hermione, I am so very sorry. I am an old man and I have made many mistakes." Professor McGonagall opened her mouth to protest, but Dumbledore waved her off, "It is also true that I have made many when it comes to Harry. I can tell you that I only wanted the best for all of you."

"I want to believe that Professor, I really do, but you wouldn't let Ron in the Order and now he's involved in a far more dangerous Order. I don't know it for certain, but my instincts tell me that you helped him do that," Hermione said a bit more quietly than before.

"What would you have me do Hermione?" Dumbledore asked sitting down, "It wasn't my wish that Mr. Weasley be excluded. However, I am only one voice and other voices were raised against his admission."

"Please Professor, if you had insisted, those same voices would have been silent," Hermione returned refusing to forgive him.

"Is that what you would have had me do? Shall I speak for all of the Order and tell them when and where they may live their lives? Would you have me grow into what Voldemort has become?" Dumbledore said with a bit of steel in his voice.

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but said nothing. She knew he was right. Her anger began to cool and with its departure, Hermione found herself confused and desperate to see Ron once more. Her necklace was silent, Ron's pain had disappeared and he must of lost consciousness. She needed him. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked from Dumbledore to Professor McGonagall. The older woman smiled, and placed one hand on her shoulder in comfort. Hermione looked up at the compassion in her mentor's face and the tears fell. Professor McGonagall smiled down at the young girl and then back to Dumbledore.

"There, there Miss Granger. Things are not always as terrible as they first seem," Professor McGonagall replied.

"Am I interrupting something?" Harry asked entering the room. He wore his school shirt and pants, his sweater wrapped around the handle and his cloak covering the bulk of the Cauldron as he struggled with it through the doorway only to set it heavily onto the floor. Harry wiped the sweat from his forehead as he took in the other faces in the room. He'd missed something.

"Great Merlin, they truly found the Cauldron." Snape whispered, pulling Harry's clothes from around it. The Cauldron's blue light flared for a moment before extinguishing itself completely.

"Yes, and it cost us Ron," Hermione said bitterly.

"Miss Granger, Professor Dumbledore has been trying to tell you that Mr. Weasley hasn't been kidnapped. He is being treated even as we speak," McGonagall said gently.

"Where is he? I need to go to him," Hermione demanded.

"Wait. What?" Harry asked looking from Hermione's distressed face to McGonagall. "Why aren't you in the Hospital Wing?" he asked Hermione.

"He's gone Harry! That, that…Val, took him somewhere," Hermione replied.

Harry looked to Professor Dumbledore for confirmation, "Yes, he is being treated in his Order's chapter house. Val was concerned that too many people might connect Fury with Ron if he was brought to the Hospital Wing. I have arranged for you and Harry to go to him there."

Harry nodded, "How is he?" he asked placing his hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"He was alive when he left. That's all we know for now," Dumbledore replied. "While you are there, you will have to wear these masks." Dumbledore reached into his desk and handed a mask to both Harry and Hermione. "Too many people have seen your pictures in the Daily Prophet and it is custom for the loved ones of their Order members to keep their identities a secret."

Harry donned his mask, as Hermione did the same, "What do we do about the Cauldron?"

"You may leave the Cauldron here for the moment. It is well protected," Dumbledore replied. "When you return, we can discuss the disposition of it. I believe that I will have a most intriguing proposition for Miss Granger."

"Professor, the cauldron, it's…" Hermione warned him.

"I know, it's not for me. It has all ready made that perfectly clear. Professors McGonagall and Snape will remain with it for now," Dumbledore replied.

Hermione nodded, satisfied with his answer.

"Talon should be here any moment to escort you to see Fury. Please make sure you address Fury only with his title while he is in his chapter house," Dumbledore warned them.

As Dumbledore finished speaking, the office floo flared with green light and Talon stepped out of the fire. Even under his mask, they could tell his expression was grave.

"Is Fury going to be alright?" Hermione asked as her voice broke, reaching out to Harry for support.

Talon regarded her before responding, "We believe that he can live," he replied.

Hermione sighed with relief, as Talon continued, "However, right now he teeters on the line between life and death. We need the two of you to call him back from the brink."

Hermione paled and moved towards the floo with Harry following behind. Talon nodded to the others, "Dumbledore, always a pleasure. Minerva, your radiance, as ever, eclipses the sun," Talon nodded to each in turn.

"Talon," Dumbledore replied and Professor McGonagall smiled to the knight, "May your sword arm never tire," she finished. Talon nodded to each in turn and stepped into the fireplace, floo powder in hand. He spoke clearly, "Castle Galliard," the familiar green fire flared and he was gone. Hermione didn't hesitate, but stepped into the floo and repeated the words she had just heard spoken.

Harry turned for a moment to look at the three teachers and then, with a wry smile, followed Hermione into the unknown.

The floo network must have been acting up as Harry and Hermione both arrived at the same moment. The resulting collision threw Hermione to the floor and she sat there stunned for an instant before Talon helped her to her feet with a grim smile and a gallant flourish of his arm. Once she got to her feet Hermione noticed the room they were in was much like the Gryffindor common room. Of course it wasn't done in red and gold, but the look and feel of history held sway here just as much as at Hogwarts.

"Welcome to Castle Galliard," Talon began as Harry joined them looking around. "We are not far from the healers, so, if you will follow me."

Harry and Hermione followed Talon as he walked towards the double doors leading away from the entrance. As they walked through the hallway, Hermione caught herself marveling at the pictures of different knights and battles lining the hallway they walked through. A set of double doors stood open on Hermione's right that led into a large chamber with a high vaulted ceiling. Talon noticed their gaze and answered the unspoken question, "That is where the ceremony will be, if it comes to pass."

"What ceremony?" Harry asked seeing nothing extraordinary in the room.

Talon frowned for a moment, "My sorrow, I spoke out of place. The candidate should be the first person to hear the news. Let us hope that it thus comes to pass."

Harry looked to Hermione who shrugged her shoulders. Neither knew what the older knight spoke of.

Talon stopped before a large wooden door set with silver handles. Talon there and turned back to Harry and Hermione, "This is the infirmary. Fury is the only patient now. You should prepare yourselves."

Harry nodded towards the door, "We're prepared."

Talon nodded and pushed open the door. They followed him into a large room with two rows of beds. It was easy to see which bed Fury was lying in by the witch and wizard that were standing by the bed and the shock of red hair they were looking at. Hermione watched the bed closely noting that Ron, while his armor was now gone, still wore the dark mask over his good eye.

What wasn't easy to see was Fury's body until Hermione realized that loss of blood had made him so pale it was hard to tell where he ended and the crisp white sheets on the bed began.

Hermione raced over to the edge of the bed, reaching out for his hand when the elderly wizard put out a hand to stop her. "Patience child, the young squire is no longer bleeding, but it would be easy enough to reopen his wounds."

Hermione nodded looking up to the older wizard, "Will he be all right?"

The witch smiled tenderly at Hermione, "We believe so. Even more so, now that you two are here."

"What can we do?" Harry asked confused looking down at Ron's pale features.

"When young Fury first arrived he was hallucinating. He kept calling for the two of you. Often when someone is gravely injured the mere presence of their loved ones will aid in their recovery."

"Did you heal him?" Harry asked walking around to the opposite side of the bed frowning down at Fury's unconscious form.

"Yes, we were able to mend the wounds. The spells cast on him were able to sustain him until he arrived here," the wizard replied.

"Then we owe you our gratitude," Harry replied offering his hand to the wizard.

Hermione looked up at the pair, "Yes, thank you, for everything."

"You are welcome," the witch replied.

Talon nodded towards the couple, "I would like to introduce the two of you to Kassandra and Hector."

The couple nodded towards Harry and Hermione, "It is to us to keep those of our Order hale and strong for battle."

Hermione nodded turning her gaze back to Fury's still form. "We will leave you now. Speak to him, be near him. Fury will know that you are here and will return to you. If you have any needs, we will not be far," Kassandra finished motioning for the two knights to follow her.

"Wait!" Hermione interrupted them, "How did you know where we would be?" Hermione asked as she turned away from Ron.

"I told them where to find you," Val's familiar voice came from behind the retreating knights.

Hermione rose to her feet, her eyes narrowed dangerously. Talon looked to Harry with a shrug and the three older knights left the two girls to settle their differences.

Val walked towards them with several people behind her carrying trays containing food and pitchers of pumpkin juice, "It might be a long wait and we might as well have something to eat and drink while we do."

Val stopped just out of arm reach of Hermione and the two girls stared at each other for a moment. It was Hermione that ended the silence, "I was ready to kill you when I arrived at the Hospital wing and I couldn't find Fury," Hermione growled.

Val nodded, "I thought you might be angry, but I trust you were told why I brought him here instead?"

"I was, but I still think you took an awful chance," Hermione replied.

"It was not an option for him to remain there," Val replied crisply. "He was my responsibility. As it was, we were seen."

"We were seen? That's what you were worried about? Fury could have died!" Hermione snapped back at the blond girl with bright green eyes.

Harry stepped in between them and raised both of his hands, "What's done is done. Now we sit and wait for R-Fury to recover. He would not want you to be arguing." Harry looked to Hermione, "She did what she thought was best. You know Fury would want to obey the rules of his Order, no matter the risk."

Hermione turned back to Fury's pale form, "It's the risk that scares me," she whispered.

Harry and Val sat next to each other on the Fury's other side. "What do we do Val? Talon said we needed to call him back."

Val smiled to Harry and he sensed something familiar about her, "We remember him. We speak with him and focus on more pleasant times. We wait, reminding him of why he should remain with us."

Harry nodded in reply and settled in to think of every good memory of Ron he could come up with starting that day on the train first year.

In reflection, Harry didn't remember who began speaking of their memories aloud. However, sometime in the reflection, Val and Hermione seemed to reach an accord, and the three focused on calling Fury back to them. Hermione, Harry and Val had stayed up late into the night talking first of Ron, and then speaking of the outside world. Only when one of the Healers had come by and told them that Fury was passed the danger point did they relax and choose a bed for the night. It seemed as if they were only asleep for a moment when they were awoken by a voice asking them if they were ready for breakfast.

Hermione opened her eyes to see two boys standing in front of her, both wearing masks. She studied them for a moment before answering, "Breakfast would be wonderful, thank you."

Harry and Val sat up and Harry rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, "Did someone say breakfast?"

One older of the two boys nodded, "Yes, My Lord. If it is your wish we will lead you to the morning meal."

"Could we get clean first?" Hermione asked them.

"Of course, Lady, we can take you to the guest rooms before you eat."

Val stood up and adjusted her tunic, "Take the Lord here to the guest rooms to freshen up," she said gesturing to Harry. "I will take the Lady to my private quarters, if it is her wish, and she can freshen herself there."

"As you wish Squire Val," the older man at arms replied.

Val turned to Harry, "If you will follow these pages, they will take care of you and you can meet with the Lady in the Feast Hall."

Harry nodded and followed the two boys out of the room.

Hermione turned to Val as soon as the pages had led Harry out of sight, "I noticed you were careful not to use either my or Harry's name, why?"

"It would not do to let anyone know who Fury's loved ones are. I have no reason to distrust the pages, but we find it prudent to not to let others know of weaknesses," Val said frankly. "It is the reason both of you are wearing masks, so you can not be used to manipulate him."

Hermione's eyes narrowed, "So, all of this is to protect Fury?"

"As well as yourselves. Fury is a valiant fighter and has gone on several important missions for our Order. As such, there are a few Death Eaters who would be very interested in Fury's weaknesses and might seek them out to extract revenge."

Hermione nodded in understanding, "That does make sense, I guess."

Val nodded in answer, "Now, if you will follow me, we can get you prepared for the ceremony."

"Ceremony?" Hermione questioned.

Val smiled for the first time that morning, "If the potions are as effective as the Healers hope, then Fury and I will be knighted in the morning after we have sat our vigil. It is an ancient ceremony and it is most fitting that the two of you are there to see it. If he has not recovered enough, then it will be done tomorrow night."

Hermione frowned for a moment and then looked squarely at Val, "Why is it fitting that I am there?"

"You are his Lady. One of the Codes, a knight must live his life by, is that of loyalty to the one they have pledged their heart to. You will even have a small part in his knighting, and, if you give yourself over to the moment, it may be one of the most important moments of both of your lives."

The earnest look on Val's face was shocking to Hermione and she didn't know how to respond to such a weighty statement. Instead, she turned to practical matters, "So, I guess I need to get ready then. Are you going to show me what I need to do?"

To Hermione's surprise, Val beamed at her, "I most certainly am. Now, if you will follow me, we will get you cleaned up and fed. After that I will show you a few things here in the Chapter House that you may find of use."

Hermione's shock was evident when Val took her arm and led her away from the infirmary and towards her private quarters.

"Val, wait," Hermione stopped, "If Harry and I are needed here for Fury, who is coming for you?"

Val turned and looked back to the Hermione a look of surprise across her features, "I have no such love, but I do have one such friend."

"How long have you known her?" Hermione asked realizing how little she knew of Fury's partner.

Val's laughter was vaguely familiar to Hermione, but she could not place it, "For six years and he would not appreciate being called a girl."

"He isn't your love then?" Hermione asked again surprised.

"Oh no. He has eyes for another," Val replied. "Come, let's get freshened up."

Before a half an hour had passed, Hermione found herself meeting in their Feast Hall with Harry and Val. While the Hall was not as impressive as the one at Hogwarts, it was a very large and ornate structure. The columns were carved statues of the greatest fighters in the history of the Order and the walls were covered in bas-relief etchings of some of the greatest battles in history. As she and Harry marveled at the beauty of the Hall, Talon approached unnoticed.

"I hope you are being well taken care of," he said in his normal jovial tone.

Both Harry and Hermione nodded in response and Harry spoke first, "How long has this Hall been here Talon?"

"This was one of the Order's first structures. It has been here for over nine hundred years. If you like, I can show you around the Castle once you have eaten. Although Fury is awake, the Healers believe he should get a bit more rest before he has visitors." Talon stated pointedly at Hermione, who had already half risen from her chair.

Harry reached out a hand and placed it on Hermione's arm, "We understand Talon, and we would love to see whatever of the castle you can show us."

Talon turned his eyes towards Hermione, "You are not the first Lady who has waited for word of her Lord in this place. Nor, do I fear, are you the last. Have faith, you and he will be reunited soon enough."

Hermione nodded and raised a hand to her eyes and wiped away one traitorous tear, "You must think I am silly to worry so."

Talon regarded her gravely for a moment, "Not so Lady, I myself have sat in these halls too often and waited for word that one of my noble young warriors would live or die. It is a burden beyond measure and I am glad that soon it will be my burden no longer."

"Are you retiring then Talon?" Hermione asked with a smile.

"Nay Lady, one does not retire from the Order. I am, however, old and not the warrior I once was. I fear I will fall in this next Great War and it will be to younger men to pick up the banner I have borne for so long," he said softly as if to not startle the two of them.

Both Hermione and Harry seemed startled by Talon's words and the old warrior seemed to notice immediately. "Fear not young ones, I am not quite ready to leave my brothers yet. Though some of my friends are now lost to me, I still must do my duty for a while more."

"Is it hard losing your friends while you live?" Harry asked quietly looking at the knights surrounding them. He couldn't help but notice that none of them were older than Talon.

Hermione whipped her head around to stare at Harry. Talon, on the other hand, gave the slightest of wistful smiles, "It is hard at first and then it is powerfully lonely. I can still see them in their youth."

Talon had stopped looking at either Harry or Hermione and his gaze now rested on sights that had long since faded from this earth.

"How young we were when first we met. We trained until the sweat burned our eyes and it felt as if our arms would be wrenched from our sockets." Talon looked down at the two of them with a benevolent smile, "Still we somehow found the energy to dance after our duties were attended to."

"When I first began my training, I could not understand why all squires were required to learn to dance. Then when I discovered it was to be dancing from hundreds of years ago, I understood even less."

Harry nodded in agreement with Talon's statement.

Talon continued, "Then we danced for the first time and it all became clear."

"What became clear Talon?" Hermione asked, her curious nature getting the best of her.

"The dances of the past were designed to glorify the ladies. They brought forth the natural gracefulness and glory of the female form. They were slow enough that you could truly look at your partner and lose your self in their eyes. They brought out a romance that has almost gone from the world."

Harry thought Talon was a bit mental when he looked at Hermione and thought that she was going to cry.

"Hermione, is something wrong?" Harry asked.

Hermione shook her head violently causing her hair to fly around her head in swirling cloud, "I'm fine, it just sounds so… so lovely."

Harry wasn't used to hearing Hermione talk like a girl. Now, he knew she was a girl alright, and he had even noticed before Ron, but he still didn't see Hermione often act all 'girly' as he would consider it.

"Well, maybe you and Fury can dance like that sometime," he replied weakly wishing they could talk of something else.

"Indeed Lady, you should have many opportunities to dance thus with Fury. Val, may I trust that you will see that the Lord and Lady here are well garbed for the ceremony?" Talon asked turning to look at Val.

"It would be my honor to do so, Sir Talon. Does this mean the ceremony will be tomorrow?" Val eagerly questioned.

Talon smiled at Val a moment before replying, "It seems that Fury will be well enough for the ceremony. Though, he will restricted from missions for several days. You both will sit your vigils tonight and be knighted in the morning. Have all of your duties done by this afternoon so that you can prepare yourself."

"Yes, Talon," Val answered quickly and then motioned to Harry and Hermione to follow her out of the Hall.

The three of them walked through the maze of corridors as Val pointed out several items of interest. Val walked quickly as they passed from one doorway to the next until she abruptly turned into a doorway. Harry had to stop quickly not to pass it by or run into one of the other girls. When he and Hermione entered he saw Val talking to an elderly lady who was smiling widely and admonishing Val for her attire. As the woman finished her lecture, she turned to Harry and Hermione with a smile as she gestured them over to her.

"Hello dears, I understand you will be taking part in the coming ceremony and that you do not have appropriate garb," her voice warbled as she smiled.

Harry shifted uncomfortably under her gaze as she continued, "Well, you just let me take care of that. Now come here young man, and let me look at you," The elderly lady grabbed Harry and spun him around looking at him critically.

"You could stand to put on a little weight," she said as she looked him up and down. "Still, you're not so small that I would have to put you in children's clothes."

Hermione managed to only giggle a bit at Harry's discomfort, but her humor was short lived when the elderly witch walked up to her, "Why, you're just a little slip of a girl, lass. However, I do have just the dress for you." The old woman walked around a corner and returned with long close fitting white dress that had long sleeves and a train with it.

The woman held it up to Hermione and nodded to her self. Then she looked at Hermione for a moment, "You are chaste, aren't you?"

Harry looked at Hermione blankly, but Hermione blushed furiously and stammered,"Y-y-y-yes, I am still chaste."

The elderly lady nodded in approval and went around the corner again.

"Hermione, why did she ask if you were chased?" Harry whispered confused.

Hermione blushed deeply, but Val burst out laughing. "Not chased but chaste. She was asking if she had ever been with a man."

It was Harry's turn to blush deeply, "So you and Fury haven't… well, you know?"

"God, Harry," Hermione sputtered while Val held on to her sides as she rocked with laughter. Harry and Hermione looked over at the laughing girl and once again, Harry felt that her laughter was familiar to him. He knew he had heard that exact same laugh at this expense before.

The elderly woman reappeared with an emerald green tunic and simple black. She held them up to Harry and then nodded with a smile. "These should suit you just fine young master. Now I believe that Val has to take you to the Sanctuary so you can learn your part in the Ceremony."

Hermione and Harry thanked the lady for her help and followed Val on another journey through the long corridors of the Castle. Val came to a stop by a doorway that looked no different than any of the other ones they had seen since they had arrived. Val opened the door and gestured for them to walk in. Hermione stepped in first and gasped when she saw the huge mural on the opposite wall.

The mural depicted the battle of the Sacean Shore where Arthur defeated the first of several attempted Saxon invasions. The figures on the mural moved through the battle as British knights strove to push the invading horde back into the sea. The wall on the left showed different knights in plain white tunics kneeling in front of their swords a look of awe on their faces.

On the right wall a circle of witches danced among a circle of stones. Their hair was wild and joy and power mixed among them as they joined together in sisterhood. Hermione turned to look at Harry who was looking straight up. Hermione lifted her head to discover what Harry was gazing at. Above them the ceiling was the image of the night sky and the heavens seemed to blaze with the glory and majesty of life.

"This is the Sanctuary of our Order. Here any member may come and ponder those things which may trouble him. It is one of our places of refuge and here will you learn of your place in the Ceremony tonight and in the morning. I will leave you here for now, though soon we will meet again." Val said with a smile.

"How will we learn our parts if you leave us?" Hermione questioned before Val could depart.

"Someone will be here soon to help you with the protocol. Trust that you will not be left in the dark." With that Val turned and quickly walked down the corridor.

Both Harry and Hermione were quiet for a moment and Harry let out a great sigh. "This all seems unreal doesn't it?"

Hermione shook her head "No Harry, it seems all too real to me. This place, the Order, all of it is so very Ron. Ron, whom can do nothing half way. The man who must be great at a thing or will not do it at all. Can you not see how words like honor, duty and courage would call to him like a library calls to me?"

Harry nodded, "That's a good thing though, right?" he asked in response to the look on Hermione's face. "I mean we want him to feel important and this ummm… hobby helps."

"This isn't a hobby Harry. This is a cause, this is a vocation and it's one you have for life. I know this is going to sound selfish and petty but it's going to be part of the rest of my life as well and I don't know if I can handle knowing Ron will always be in danger."

Harry stood there in shock starring at Hermione for a moment, "The rest of your life? So that means you want to …you know…be with Ron….forever?"

Hermione flushed in a way that would have put any Weasley to shame, but she managed to look Harry in the eyes all the same, "Well of course I do Harry. I know that it doesn't make any sense and I know that it sounds crazy but somehow I think it's the right thing. Now it's not going to happen anytime soon but I do think it is going to happen"

"You know, I admire you for that Hermione. I know I feel strongly for Ginny, but the idea of forever seems, well scary. Of course, forever might only be to the next time Voldemort catches me," Harry said with sarcasm dripping from every word.

Harry had expected for Hermione to tell him not to worry, but instead her eyes blazed and she planted both of her fists on her hips as she glared at him. "Harry James Potter, that is no way to talk. You have way too many people who are giving their all to help you for you to even joke about such things. All of us deserve better than that, especially Ginny."

Harry couldn't even look Hermione in the eyes, so he stared directly at the ground, as he mumbled an apology to Hermione.

Hermione's face softened as she looked at a now chastened Harry, "It's OK Harry; we just want you to know that things aren't as bad as they might seem sometimes."

Harry smiled and seemed about to respond when the door opened and a tall man in his mid twenties strode through it. He surveyed the room confidently and then broke into a smile when he laid eyes on the two of them, "Greetings My Lady and Lord, I am Flourish, and I will be your Protocol teacher today."

Harry bit back a laugh and looked at Hermione, who seemed quite interested in what Flourish had to say.

"Now, I take it that the two of you aren't familiar with the Knighting Ceremony?" Flourish asked as he smiled down at Hermione. Flourish was a man in his early twenties with long, wavy blond hair and bright, colorful tunic and hose. Harry was immediately reminded of Zacharias Smith, and not in the most flattering of ways. Hermione though didn't mind the man's attention, but Harry's skin crawled to be around him.

"No, we are not, but I'm sure with your help we will get everything right," Hermione said returning his smile.

Flourish grinned even larger, clapping his hands together, "Well then, let's get started, shall we? First things first, are you one of the knights-to-be sister?"

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but Harry spoke first, stepping between the two. "No, she is Fury's Lady," Harry answered standing as tall as he could in front of the slender man. "Perhaps you should tell her what the Lady of a knight should know."

Flourish wiped the smile off of his face and paled slightly looking from Harry 's frown to Hermione's confused expression, "She is Fury's lady? You do not jest, my Lord?"

"Why would he be jesting Flourish?" Hermione asked her smile gone.

Flourish took a step back and stammered, "I just assumed you were his sister, Lady."

"I think Hermione, that Flourish here was a bit taken with you," Harry interrupted. "Finding out that you are the Lady of such a _protective _knight-to-be must have been a bit disconcerting."

Flourish smiled sheepishly, "Be that as it may, I am here to teach you about your parts in the upcoming ceremony. As such, perhaps we should carry on with the lesson."

Hermione nodded and shot a look at Harry.

Harry rolled his eyes and smirked back at Flourish, but settled down to hear what the poncy boy had to say. Harry couldn't help but smile at the thought of what Ron would do to the scrawny man as he started his instructions.

Thus began one of the longest hours in Harry's life.

As Val led Harry and Hermione back from the Sanctuary, Harry found the opportunity to voice his dislike of Flourish, "I never thought I would say this, but that guy was a bigger prat than Zacharias Smith."

"He wasn't that bad Harry, he was just a bit overzealous," Hermione replied primly.

"Overzealous, I think not. You're just saying that because he was flirting with you. If Fury had seen it, he would have torn that git's head off," Harry retorted.

"Maybe he was flirting with me, but I wasn't flirting with him. Regardless of that, he had information we needed to know so everything would go right for Fury. I would think by now that you would have a little faith in me at least," Hermione huffed.

Harry smirked back at her and a fight seemed to be brewing when Val spoke up, "Despite his flirting, Flourish would never make advances to the Lady of a knight. All members of the Order are valued, but those who fight are held in higher esteem. Further, of all of our fighters, the knights are the crème of the crop. As such, they are given great respect in all things. To make such advances to the Lady of a knight is tantamount to asking for a beating from that knight."

"In that case, I am going to mention it to Fury. It would be incredibly entertaining to see him teach Flourish a lesson," Harry laughed to himself earning frowns from both of the girls.

Hermione shook her head and ignored Harry, instead turning her focus on Val, "Val, wouldn't your friend needed to have gone through the same lessons that we did? I'm surprised he didn't join us."

"Friend, what friend?" Harry asked turning towards Val.

"As Fury's closest friends have been invited, as have been mine," Val replied with a slight tinge of annoyance.

"Oh, wouldn't she have needed the same lessons?" Harry asked curious.

"No, _he_ wouldn't. His family is extremely traditional. He would have been incredibly offended if he had gone through Flourish's lesson, as my friend considers himself quite well informed on these matters," Val chuckled to herself. "He knows his role."

"So, your Lord will be here this evening?" Harry asked with a wink towards Hermione.

"No, my friend only," Val replied as she rolled her eyes. "I have all ready had this conversation with your counterpart. He is just a friend."

The three of them walked along the maze of corridors for several minutes before they walked into a large chamber, which reminded Hermione of a great Cathedral with high arches and a vaulted ceiling. At one end of the hall, Talon was pointing out something to several attendants who then left quickly out of one of the many side doors. As soon as Talon spotted them, he briskly crossed over to them.

The older Knight couldn't contain his enthusiasm as he greeted the three, "So I trust that Flourish was helpful with his instructions?"

"Not as helpful as he wanted to be," Harry said with a chuckle.

Talon looked confused for a moment and then was a bit startled when Hermione kicked Harry. Before another row could start Val stepped in, "I believe that Flourish was under the impression that the Lady here was Fury's sister. He seemed to be quite taken with her until the good Lord here set him straight," she said pointedly looking at Harry.

Harry shrugged, "Just keeping an eye out for my mate."

"Fury doesn't need you to keep an eye out for him. Fury trusts me and you should to," Hermione huffed.

"_You,_ I trust, but that creepy git made my skin crawl," Harry fired right back.

Talon steeped between the two and spoke to Val, "Would you be so kind as to escort the young Lord here to quarters so he might rest before his preparations? I believe your friend has arrived as well and should be waiting upon you there. I would speak with the Lady for a moment and then I will bring her there myself."

Val bowed to Talon and took Harry lightly by the arm and guided him out of the Hall.

Hermione looked up questioningly at Talon as soon as Val and Harry vanished around the corner. Talon smiled at the look on her face and motioned for her to follow him. After walking for a moment in silence, Talon turned to her and questioned, "Do you ever find it hard to be Fury's Lady?"

Hermione was surprised by the question, but answered it as honestly as she could, "I do sometimes. I worry about what might happen to him and what I would do if something did happen to him."

Talon nodded, "It must be hard for you. It was hard for my wife as well. There were times when I didn't think we were going to make it. She understood why I wanted to be a part of the Order, but she was an artist and I think it pained her greatly to know I took part in any form of violence."

Hermione looked up at Talon as they walked, "The fear of losing him sometimes feels like it's crushing my chest. I'm torn between wanting him to do all the things I know he can do and wanting him to take a boring, predictable job so he will always be safe."

Talon's face grew grave for an instant as he regarded the girl beside him, "Fury is who he is. I know this is of little comfort, but seeking to change that will only make the both of you miserable. I can see your love for him clearly. It is etched on your face when you speak of him. We do not choose whom we love in this life, nor do we know how long we will have that person to love. Therefore, is not the logical thing to do to love them as fiercely as we might for as long as we can?"

Of all the things in the world, Hermione Granger relied on logic foremost. Now her old friend was being used to tell her to _not_ worry about something that worried her. It seemed crazy, but perhaps it was the right thing to do.

It was easy for Talon to see that Hermione was waging an internal struggle as they walked, so he took the kindest course of action. He distracted her, "Wel,l let us get you back to your quarters. Very soon Fury's vigil will begin."

As Ron knelt in the Sanctuary, he couldn't help but feel awed at what was about to take place. He was going to become a knight, not some stupid title that people get for being a good singer or a sports star, but a real knight. The sheer responsibility of it threatened to overwhelm him, but the pride he felt somehow managed to help him keep his head about him.

Talon's footsteps echoed throughout the Sanctuary and they announced to both Ron and Val that the vigil was commencing in earnest. Talon stepped in front of Ron and placed a simple white belt in his hands.

"White is the symbol of purity, of cleanliness of mind, body and spirit. A knight must be pure of all taint. For his glory to shine forth without shadow, he must be free of the darkness. Wear this as a reminder that all things that you do reflect on both yourself and your Order."

With that Talon strode down towards the other end of the Sanctuary where Val was kneeling in her own vigil and repeated his words. Ron considered the belt and the nature of darkness as an hour passed. Two pairs of footsteps entered the Hall from behind him. One approached him and the second walked over to Val. As Ron waited he caught scent of the person approaching. He looked up and smiled as Harry stopped before him. Harry held out Fury's sword and Ron reached up and took it from him. As Harry handed him the sword he spoke in a grave tone, "The sword is the ancient symbol of knighthood. It is the sword with which the knight defends the weak. It is the sword with which the knight vanquishes evil. It is the sword, which is the embodiment of courage in battle. Yet beware, for the sword is double edged and its glory and majesty may easily turn to pride and hubris for the unwary knight. The true knight is humble before all."

Ron nodded and held his sword in front of him so that the crosspiece of the hilt lay in front of his eyes and the point of the scabbard rested lightly on the floor. Ron was glad that Harry had been here to be a part of the ceremony. He hoped that Harry would always be there when the good things happed in his life. His mind wandered to what those good things might be when he heard a lighter set of footfalls approaching. Then her scent reached him and he knew for certain whom it was—his mate.

He would never tell her that was how he considered her; because he worried it might be a bit primal for Hermione. This was, after all, the girl who lived in the intellectual and she might very well see it as some sort of male control thing, rather than just a simple fact. Ron was so caught up in these thoughts that it took him time to notice that Hermione was standing in front of him in a simple fitted white dress. Again the word "mate" seemed to echo throughout the corners of his mind.

Hermione held out a simple chain made of fitted links and her voice rang out cool and clear in the silence, "The Knights chain is a symbol of loyalty. Links join together to form the unbroken circle of the chain. These symbolize your devotion to your Order, your friends and to your love, to me." Hermione lifted the chain and kissed it. Then with a smile she wound it around the hilt of the sword.

"Think upon my words. If in the morn you find yourself worthy, then I will place it around your neck and you will be bound by it for all time. Take not my words lightly, for this oath you swear holds beyond the veil and into whatever comes after."

Ron smiled at Hermione and wished that he could tell her just how beautiful she looked tonight. Often he was struck by how much Hermione had changed in the years he had known her. She was no longer the annoying little know-it-all and had become a calm, self-assured, know-it-all. Ron came very close to laughing as he imagined her expression if she could have read his mind.

When Hermione smiled back at him, Ron suddenly became aware of how close she was standing to him. He could see the relief upon her face to see him kneeling there. The sum of this caused him to fight the urge to wrap his arms around her hips and pull her closer. Just when he thought he might give in, she took a step backwards and then turned and walked quietly down the Hall.

Time passed as Ron considered Hermione and their relationship. He took a deep breath and chuckled as he caught a different scent wafting through the Hall. It was familiar to him, both as Val and as his friend. He wondered how she would react if she knew that not only did he know her true identity, but that he also knew the identity of her guest.

_I suppose, at some point, I should tell her that I know who she is. Maybe I'll tell her "guest" as well so she won't feel so isolated._

The rest of the night seemed to pass in what Ron would later describe as a partially aware dream. His mind had flown through all the things he had done while at Hogwarts, his accomplishments and his regrets, to dreams of what might happen after he left school. Vaguely he wondered what Val was thinking of during her vigil and resolved to ask her when they were both knights.

Talon's footfalls sounded in the Chamber and with a gesture he motioned for Ron to stand. The ache that shot through his knees and thighs threatened to cause him to cry out, but he bit back the pain and shook his legs to increase his circulation. When Talon returned with Val they walked briskly down several corridors until they reached the cleansing pool.

Talon handed them both fresh white tunics and trousers, "Now you will take the ritual bath. Let the water cleanse you of any doubt or taint of failure. I will return swiftly for you."

Fury looked at Val for a moment and blushed. Val shook her head and as if by silent agreement they moved to opposite ends of the pool and faced away from each other. Ron stripped and washed as silently and as quickly as possible. Within a matter of minutes he had dried himself and was dressed again and a moment later Val joined him waiting for Talon.

Talon came back into the room and silently led them to the Great Hall where a crowd of people waited for them. Fury could see the other Knights, smiles etched on their faces as they remembered their initiation. The squires crowded forward, their faces alight as they dreamed of the day they may be in Fury's place. Above all, Fury could see Hermione, Harry and Val's friend standing at the front of the room, off to one side. Harry looked uncomfortable in the borrowed clothing. Hermione stood at his side, a wide smile on her face as she met his gaze. Fury glanced over to Val to see her nod to her "friend." He stood near, but apart from Harry and Hermione, wearing a similar mask and dressed all in black. He acknowledged Val's nod with one of his own, but there was no trace of a smile or good cheer.

Talon led them to the front of the Hall and told them to kneel. Talon stood in front Fury first and spoke aloud for the assembly to hear; "Now you stand at the threshold of destiny. So I will ask you, in front of all of these witnesses, are you worthy of knighthood?"

Fury's mind raced as he pondered the question, but to his shame the answer came all too quickly. His cheeks flamed as he answered with a softly spoken, "No"

Talon's face broke into a smile as he looked down at Fury, "Then endeavor to be worthy."

Talon grew serious once again, "Is it still your wish to take on the responsibilities of a Knight of the Order of the Coure de Lion?"

"It is," Fury replied in a voice he hoped sounded confident.

"Then swear your Oath so all may hear your words."

"I swear to defend the weak, to honor my oaths, to fight the darkness, to be foremost in battle and to be true to my Order and my lady for all time," Fury's voice rang out.

Talon had Fury stand and wrapped the white belt around his waist and hung the sword from it. Then he motioned to Hermione, who came forward and held his chain so that all could see. After a pause, she lowered it to her lips and kissed the chain softly and then turned towards Fury, "Let this chain be a constant reminder of the oaths you have sworn and the weight of the responsibilities that you have accepted."

Hermione's smile grew as she continued, "Let it also be a reminder of the pride I have in you and my own Oaths that I have sworn to you as well."

Hermione stepped to the side as Talon drew his sword. He raised it to his lips and kissed the blade before he brought it down to rest upon Fury's right shoulder, "I name you Defender of the Weak."

He raised the blade, kissed it again and lowered it to Fury's left shoulder, "I name you fearless in battle."

Once more he lifted the blade to his lips and kissed it again then lowered to softly to Fury's head, "I name you Knight of the Order."

Talon sheathed his sword and lifted Fury to his feet, "Now let this be the last blow you take unanswered." With those words, Talon slammed his forearm into Fury's chest driving him to his knees. Then Talon reached down to Fury and extended his hand.

Once Fury was standing, Talon turned him to face the crowd, "It is my pleasure to introduce to you, Sir Fury. Fear him, for he is mighty; honor him, for he is worthy; and, love him, for he is your brother."

Talon turned to Val and repeated the rites. In this, Talon gave all three symbols without the second oath in relation to the chain. Fury watched on with pride as Val was christened by Talon's blade and named before the crowd, "It is my pleasure to introduce to you, Sir Val. Respect her, for she will protect you; honor her, for she is worthy; and love her, for she is your sister."

Ron had never before gotten hammered on Firewhisky but he was certain that no matter how strong it was he was sure it couldn't make him feel any better than he did right now. As soon as the Knighting Ceremony was over a hoard of house elves had rushed in and set up row on row of tables and chairs. It hadn't taken long for every available square inch of the tables to be covered in food and Fury had be gratified to see that Hermione seemed to be having a wonderful time. At this moment Hermione was engaged in a conversation with Talon about how the Order's magisters did their research into new spells. Of course this gave him an uninterrupted opportunity to indulge in own of his favorite pastimes, Hermione watching.

As he gazed at Hermione he was forced to admit that he could understand why some blokes thought she was plain. If you just looked at her as a sum of different parts then she could be seen, well as average. The thing was you can't look at a person as the sum of their different parts. There was _something _about Hermione that seemed to just shine through her skin. Maybe it was her goodness or perhaps it could be here inquisitive nature. Fury quickly decided it didn't matter because what ever it was it was unique to Hermione. Fury couldn't see it in any of the 'pretty' girls that the blokes at school talked about all the time.

How people could think that a girl who glowed like Hermione did was plain, was beyond Fury but he guessed that it had worked out to his advantage. Coming out of his momentary reverie he noticed that Hermione was looking at him with a curious expression written across her face. 'Is there something troubling you love?" he asked softly.

Hermione beamed at him and shook her head softly. "You just seemed to be somewhere else for a moment. What had you thinking so seriously?"

"I was thinking how I couldn't understand why every bloke in Hogwarts wasn't trying to get you to go out with them, as beautiful as you are," he said while taking her hand in his.

Hermione's laugh delighted him and he bent his head down to softly kiss her hand.

"Well aren't you being so very charming Sir Fury? If I didn't know better I would think you want something from me," Hermione teased.

"Oh but I do want something my Lady."

"And what pray tell would that be Sir Fury?"

Fury was surprised how husky his voiced seemed as he replied. "You"

If Hermione was surprised she gave no sign though she did flush red for a moment and the color seemed to spread down her neck and disappear into her dress.

Hermione leaned forward so she could whisper "In what way my gallant knight?"

Surprising him self he managed to say "In every way." with out stammering or blushing.

Hermione flushed again and she brought one of her hands to her mouth, before she could say anything though Fury spoke again. "I didn't say that to pressure you into anything Hermione but I thought you should know exactly how I feel."

Hermione gazed at him and took a deep breath. "I know I'm not ready for _everything _but I want you to know that I do _want_ that. I do want you to know that one day when I am ready I will show you just how much I love you for being patient."

Fury reached out and took a drink from his goblet and turned back to Hermione. "We have all the time in the world, love."

Fury had turned to face the table when he felt Hermione lean in and whisper in his ear. "I might not think it's time for some things but I think we are over due for others."


	73. When Irish eyes are smiling

Hermione Granger shook her head in frustration for what seemed like the fiftieth time. She had retreated to the very back of the library and ensconced herself at her favorite table immediately after dinner determined to make up for lost time. They had missed two days worth of class, and then with all the problems that had arisen while they had been celebrating, Hermione found the time late and her list of homework unusually long.

For now, her resources including the incredibly valuable book Ron had gotten for Christmas lay spread out on the table and to the casual observer it would seem that she was settled in for a long night of studying. The only thing was that her brain didn't agree with her plan. In fact the only thing she had managed to do was to open her book and then spend an hour thinking about Ron. She had enjoyed herself at the Castle, but her fears were surfacing once again now that they had returned to school. Unfortunately, a complete analysis of Ron was just not something she was going to have time for until she got caught up with more of her work.

Hermione looked down at the books before her, but her brain wouldn't become focused. Hermione decided that thinking about him was not a bad thing, but it was definitely keeping her from getting anything accomplished. The fact that he could distract her even when he wasn't around made the situation even more galling. Hermione shook her head one last time and made a resolution to herself. For the next week, she wasn't going to let anything distract her from exploring both the capabilities of the Circle and the power of the Cauldron. Nothing or no one was going to keep her from the work she needed to do. That included Ron.

With her new resolve, Hermione picked up the book and started on the chapter dealing with spell amplification of influence spells. For several hours the only sound in the library was the scratching of her quill as it flew across her parchment. As a result, when Ron flopped down in the chair across from her, she let out an uncharacteristically earthy oath in surprise. Ron, on the other hand, seemed quite pleased with Hermione's first foray into swearing.

"You know Hermione, for your first time that was quite a good effort."

Hermione fought back the urge to smile at him, and instead settled for a smirk, "Only you can make me swear like that."

Ron shrugged, "I bet it's not the only new thing I can get you to do," he teased.

Hermione sighed and then looked back up at Ron, "That brings up an important point. I need a week totally without distraction and I need your help to get it."

"You mean this week?" he asked a bit dejectedly.

Hermione nodded, uncertain why Ron seemed to take the statement poorly. "Honestly Ron, it's only a week. I need you to keep everyone from bothering me about what I'm doing. I also need you to not distract me yourself,"

"Exactly how do you want me to do that Hermione?" Ron snapped.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to answer him. "Well, first I need you to leave me alone when I'm in the library. Secondly, I want you to not bother me about working too much. Third, you are going to have to stop trying to pull me into empty classrooms for the next seven days. I also won't be able to spend time playing chess or any other silly games like that."

"So, basically you want me to ignore you for a week?"

"Well, you don't have to while we are at meals and we can interact in class, but for the most part yes, I'm asking you to ignore me for a week."

"Fine," Ron replied, the word clipped.

Hermione smiled at him, oblivious to the negativity in his words, and started to reach for him when he stood up and walked out of the library without saying another word.

Hermione stared at the spot he had just occupied for a moment and the turned back to the book as she started to plot out a particularly difficult diagram. The diagram reminded her of the intricate patterns she had learned in the dance only yesterday. Her eyes became unfocussed as she thought back…

It had felt like a day dream, somehow after the feast she had managed to push aside her worries about the future and just enjoyed the present. The very idea that Ron had danced with her amazed her to no end. That wasn't the best part of it though; he had wanted to dance with her. Truthfully, he wasn't the best dancer there by far. That award was easily given to Flourish. Still, it hadn't kept either of them from thoroughly enjoying the evening. In a night full of surprises, perhaps the biggest had been when Ron told Harry that he couldn't dance with her.

Harry, and Hermione herself, had been a bit shocked until Ron told him, with a smile, that he wasn't letting her go for anything that night. Harry had just chuckled and called Ron a selfish git. Hermione had admonished Ron about it, but he had ignored her and given her one of his patented smiles, before pulling her along. Hermione had let it drop at the time. As it was a small part of her had been very happy despite the fact that he had been just a touch rude to Harry. Even Val's aloof friend had tried to cut in on them while Val and Harry took a turn, but Ron had just smiled at him and said "Sorry mate, she's all mine tonight." All in all, it had been one of the best moments of her life and she was a bit regretful that they had returned to reality to find rather quickly just a short time later.

In the middle of the evening Hermione pieced together whom Val and her mysterious friend were. She kicked herself for not recognizing it sooner. Not too mention the additional problems with Malfoy, Luna and Neville that had started right before they returned.

Hermione frowned, worried once more when someone cleared their throat nearby. She blinked her eyes, surprised to find herself back in the library with Madame Pince gesturing towards the door.

"I'm sorry Madame Pince," Hermione murmured as she gathered her books, suddenly finding herself tired. She promised herself she would begin again early in the morning. She had to make some progress soon.

Hermione returned to the Common Room to find Ginny studying at one of the tables.

"How are Luna and Neville?" Hermione asked setting her pile of books down on the table near the red head.

"Neville came back from detention with Snape about half an hour ago. Madame Pomfrey released Luna just before supper. Where did you run off to earlier? I haven't seen you all night," Ginny asked looking up from her homework.

Hermione reddened, "I had something with Professor McGonagall that I had to see to yesterday and I've been trying to catch up with my homework tonight."

Ginny shook her head holding up a hand, "It's OK. There were more than enough people involved anyway. Neville is still livid and Susan is right along with him. Luna's hard to describe, but I think she's fine. Harry's practicing being the overprotective boyfriend, which can be nice on occasion, but he's got about another half a day before I politely tell him to bugger off. Daphne and Blaise are the same as always."

"So, what did happen with Neville and Luna? I know Malfoy was involved. Did anything ever happen to him?" Hermione asked suddenly curious.

"Well, you already know that Malfoy poisoned Luna at dinner right before you came back Tuesday night. Neville got her to the infirmary and Madame Pomfrey told him what had happened. He asked me to stay with Luna for awhile, but wouldn't say a word about where he was going. Honestly, he lied right to my face and I didn't even pick up on it.

"Anyway, he went right after Malfoy as soon as he left the infirmary. Of course Neville didn't have any real proof that Malfoy did it, so he got a lot of detentions for hexing the shite out of Malfoy."

"How did he get caught?" Hermione asked.

"Well, Neville not only took on Malfoy, but Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott as well. You should have seen them all. Neville walloped them a sound one, but four on one eventually evened the score and then Professor Snape heard all the fracas and well. . . he put an end to the entire thing. The next thing I knew all six of them were trooping into the infirmary and Neville was handed two weeks of detention."

"Where did Daphne, Blaise and Susan come into all of this?" Hermione asked.

"Just as soon as the three of you left, Susan walked in absolutely furious. She let in on Neville just as soon as Professor Snape and the other Slytherins left. She was incensed with him for not finding her before he went down there. Can you believe it? Not only is Neville acting all out of sorts, but Susan as well. Something odd must be happening in their little morning training sessions," Ginny kept going picking up speed.

"Neville didn't even get upset with her. He just got a funny look on his face and then hugged Susan. That shut her up double quick and then he just told her and I quote, 'Sue, we agreed and I'm sorry.'"

"They agreed?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, that's all he said, but she understood him. You know with all their training and how Harry and Ron are about that type of stuff. I think Susan and Neville are the same way. Anyway, Susan just told him not to do it again and that she wasn't going to feel sorry for him if Luna was angry because of his stupid antics. He laughed and everybody seemed to be getting along.

"That's when Daphne and Blaise came in. Neville turned on both of them and accused them of hiding how bad everything is. He said that when he went down into the dungeons to find Malfoy he said it looked like a war zone down there. He even bumped into some sort of patrol of Slytherins who told him how to find Malfoy. Daphne and Blaise were pretty cryptic, but they always are. Susan didn't seem very surprised though. Anyway, the three of them left shortly afterwards all muttering between themselves. Susan seemed pretty upset and Blaise and Daphne were doing some quick talking between them. Do you know anything about what's going on down there, Hermione?" Ginny finished.

Hermione nodded, "I know a little Ginny, but I can't tell you until I find out a few things first."

"Secrets," Ginny growled. "There are too many secrets."

"Ginny," Hermione began sympathetic.

"Hermione, don't. It's been this way forever. Everyone's got them, myself included. If you ever hear what happened with Blaise and Susan though, I am pretty curious. Can you imagine Blaise apologizing?" Ginny asked as she yawned and began piling her books together.

"I'll let you know," Hermione promised. "She and I usually study for Herbology together on Thursdays. I'll see what I can find out tomorrow," Hermione replied gathering up her own books and heading for her dorm and bed.

Thursday sped by quickly for Hermione as she spent every possible second studying back in her dorm room. She was late meeting Susan when she entered the library with her school books. She walked towards Susan's favorite table and noticed Blaise studying with six first and second year Slytherins nearby. He ignored them all as he sat looking over towards the windows where Susan sat talking with another first year Slytherin. Blaise caught Hermione's gaze and nodded in her direction as he returned to the books and papers spread before him.

"That's great Caleb," Susan smiled at the younger boy. The blond Slytherin returned her smile before looking over at Hermione and frowned. Hermione stopped herself from rolling her eyes in response, they learned to distrust strangers so early. There had to be a Slytherin manual somewhere.

Caleb walked away as Susan looked up at Hermione, "I'm surprised. I expected to find you in here already."

Hermione set her books down and shook her head, "I've been studying in the Common Room," she replied. Hermione looked around closely and then whispered, "We are ready to try the Circle Friday night. We'll meet in the Entrance Hall at nine. Bring your broom."

Susan nodded, "I've got the first two done. Only eight more varieties of the Stenolyne vine, and their various properties, to go. I found a good book on various vines, if you want to take a look," Susan offered pushing over one of the large volumes spread before her.

"Thanks," Hermione replied ignoring her own annoyance with herself. She promised she would do be sure to return the favor the following week. Hermione paused and noticed that Susan quickly scribbled a note on a parchment and chuckled. Something about the girl was different and the first thing Hermione noticed was the change in Susan's hair. She wore it in soft waves rather than her usual ponytail or braids.

"You did your hair different," Hermione observed remembering Ginny's words from the night before.

"Yeah," Susan replied looking over Hermione's shoulder towards Blaise before turning her gaze back to the other girl. "I had extra time this morning."

"It looks good," Hermione smiled reassuring her friend. Susan was also wearing subtle make up and Hermione knew that it all had something to do with the dark-haired Slytherin sitting behind her.

Susan turned back to her report as Hermione began on her essay as well. Hermione worked through her own assignment as her concentration was broken by Susan's random, quiet chuckles. On the third time, Hermione set down her quill.

Hermione knew she wouldn't get very far if she asked the obvious question, so she chose another route. "So, what did Blaise say to you on Sunday? I never did ask. Did he apologize?"

"Actually, he didn't," Susan replied.

"What?" Hermione whispered. "Then what happened if he didn't apologize?"

Susan looked past Hermione again and then back to her, "We went up to the Divination Classroom. I read his fortune and then we talked."

Hermione raised one eyebrow, "Talked?"

"Talked," Susan confirmed. "We agreed to try to be friends, but Blaise wants to keep it low key. He's worried that us being seen together may instigate some sort of Malfoy evil plot. Unfortunately that plot hit Luna and Neville instead, the cowards."

"So, you're friends in private and stay away from each other in public?" Hermione asked.

Susan rolled her eyes, "I know. It sounds awful. Half the time I can't believe I agreed to this, but he can be quite persuasive and thoughtful when he wants to be."

Talking about it again brought it all back to Susan in a rush.

_Blaise looked down at the card, "I would have us be friends Susan, but there are complications."_

_Susan moved her hand to the next card, "I know," she replied lifting the card and returning it to her deck._

_Susan gathered the others, but Blaise took the Ace of Swords and inspected it further, wishing he could see which of the outcomes it predicted._

"_Susan," Blaise began returning the last card to her as she bound everything away back into her box. _

"_I know your concerns Blaise, but you have to recognize that I know what I am doing," Susan replied closing the box with a snap. She watched as Blaise frowned again. _

"_I am more than willing to agree to that, but you must concede the Malfoy is dangerous and that there are reasons for us not to be seen together," Blaise returned._

_Susan frowned and crossed her arms, "Then what are you suggesting? How can we maintain a friendship if you won't be seen with me? Truly, why would I even want that?"_

_Blaise stood up and moved his chair so he sat within arms reach of her, "When have you ever denied someone your friendship?" he asked leaning towards her, his voice a whisper._

_Susan opened her mouth to reply, but found she could not. He was right._

_Blaise pulled two pieces of parchment from his robes, "This one is for you," he offered handing Susan a blank parchment._

"_Thank you?" she responded looking at him with a question on her face, she kept her voice low to match his own._

"_These parchments are charmed," Blaise replied looking around the room. "What I write on mine will appear on yours until you turn the scroll over. Then you can respond. The message before disappears and if you want to hide the entire message you just turn it over in your hands."_

_Susan looked at the paper and back to Blaise, "I've never heard of this before."_

_Blaise shook his head, "It's a family secret," he explained. "It's faster and more secure than the post and it doesn't leave anything to trace."_

_Susan nodded, but looked back at Blaise, "This," she said holding up the paper, "still doesn't feel right. I thought it was a good thing to be seen together?"_

"_It is, but Susan, Malfoy knows Daphne and I are at the heart of his problems. With your, shall we say, discussion in the Great Hall, you've made yourself a target as well. If we start studying together every night, it's going to make it worse," Blaise argued. "Besides, do you really see yourself eating dinner at the Slytherin table or me joining you, Abbot, and that Ernie Macmillon character at the Hufflepuff table?"_

"_You know you would be welcome," Susan countered._

"_Right," Blaise's voice dripped with sarcasm. "I can see Abbot and Boot loving that you and I are sitting at the Hufflepuff table together. It will just make things worse for you and can you imagine what my standing with the Slytherins would be?" _

"_Blaise, but I thought that was what we were after? Understanding between all of the houses, and that includes yours," Susan hissed._

_Blaise shook his head, "Susan, one step at a time. With everything else going on, do you really want to deal with the judgments and the rumors?" Blaise pressed. "Let's see how the next few weeks go, and then we will see. In the meantime, we can use the parchment and work around our schedules."_

"_So, we ignore each other around everyone else?" Susan asked. "Once again, what's the point?"_

_Blaise turned Susan's chair so she faced him and their faces were inches apart. Blaise and Susan looked at each other closely and Susan found herself once again too sensitive to him, she fought to keep her focus. Blaise smiled, the same open smile he had given her in the Room of Requirement, and he reached out to brush her hair away from her face, "You're just going to have to trust me with this. This is just a start. If there aren't any problems, we'll take this further. Right now, isn't the best time for us," he explained motioning from her to him._

_Susan once again saw the raw sincerity in his face and found herself agreeing, "We can try, but I am not making any promises."_

_Blaise nodded, satisfied with her answer and rose to his feet. He offered her his hand, "Very well. We should go."_

Susan blinked and looked back at Hermione who was waiting for her to finish, "You should have heard him make Lenore apologize to me after implying that he and I were shagging in the Divination Classroom."

"She did that?" Hermione hissed.

"Oh, that and more. It was disgusting. It was right after he carried me down the stairs. My hair was loose from my braid and he was all flustered from the climb down. She just jumped to conclusions." Susan replied. "She was the ex-girlfriend Daphne told us about. I'm almost sure of it."

Susan and Hermione grew quiet again and started back on their essays. Hermione watched the Hufflepuff closely and was sure that she was writing notes of some kind as well as the essay. Susan hadn't told her everything.

"Have you spoken with him since Sunday?" Hermione asked as Susan smiled once again to herself as she turned the paper over before her.

"Yes, a few times. He was gone Tuesday and we've been corresponding," Susan replied her cheeks reddening. "Honestly Hermione, was this a mistake? It all seems so, so juvenile. I can't help but wonder."

Hermione smiled at the girl, "Susan, you're just getting to know one another. Besides, I don't think notes can hurt you."

"You're right. Forget I asked," Susan replied. "Hermione, don't mention the notes to anyone, alright? Like I said, Blaise and I don't really need any rumors starting about us."

"Of course," Hermione replied. She watched Susan look back at her books and then turned around in her seat to catch Blaise watching them intently. Hermione knew Susan was dreaming if she thought what was happening between her and Blaise would remain unnoticed forever. The signs were all there that Blaise and perhaps Susan, herself, were interested in being more than friends.

Susan sat staring at her essay, only three more variations to find, when images of Sunday came unbidden as she replayed it all again in her mind.

_Susan followed him to the door and groaned aloud thinking of the climb back down to the hall. Blaise looked over at her and then back to the narrow stairs. "I can't believe this," he muttered. Blaise looked back at the limping girl, "We can do this one of two ways. I can carry you or I can levitate you. Which do you prefer?"_

_Susan frowned, "I'd rather you not levitate me, if it's all the same to you," she replied._

_Blaise shrugged and knelt down before her, "Let's not repeat this to anyone," he muttered as Susan climbed on his back. "There are more gallant ways, but not the room," he muttered as he rose back to his feet._

"_Thanks Blaise," Susan smiled, her arms wrapped around his shoulders, careful not to cut off his air._

_Blaise reached the Hallway below and set Susan back on her feet. Susan brushed her hair out of her face. "Thank you," she smiled up at him, relieved that they hadn't fallen._

_Blaise nodded, but said nothing as he caught his breath. She hadn't been heavy, but it was a distance from the Divination classroom to the Hall._

"_Blaise," a feminine voice interrupted them. Blaise looked up to find Lenore walking towards them._

_Susan glanced towards Blaise and watched as the mask settled back over his face once more, "Lenore," Blaise acknowledged her._

_Lenore looked over Susan closely and then back to Blaise. Blaise's frown deepened as he watched her analyze two of them. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I Blaisey?" Lenore cooed taking Blaise's arm as she pinned Susan with a glare._

"_No, not at all," Blaise replied._

_Lenore looked over to Susan and offered her hand, "Bones, isn't it?" she asked smiling at the Hufflepuff._

_Susan took her hand, "Susan," she corrected glancing quickly up to Blaise._

"_Blaisey? Why, I think Bones here changed her hair," Lenore cooed with a smile on her face._

_Blaise looked at Susan and knew where Lenore's mind had taken her, "I don't know what you are talking about," he snapped._

"_Oh, I think you do," Lenore argued. "With how worried you were when you heard about her little scene in the Great Hall and now, look at her. Was he as good as I remember, Bones? Blaisey always was quite considerate with the ladies."_

_Susan reddened, but said nothing. Lenore's smile increased, where she stood with her arm linked with Blaise, "Was he the reason for the big scene with Draco over dinner? He is excellent at keeping the ladies happy. I'm sure it was just payment for services rendered though. Blaise doesn't really care for anybody, but himself. Do you Blaisey?"_

_Susan stiffened, "No Lenore, I actually meant what I said. You see, I'm not some slag that will do whatever someone asks me for a quick shag," she replied._

_Lenore released Blaise and glared up at Susan, "Are you implying something?"_

"_Hardly," Susan snapped glaring down at the smaller girl. "You see, Blaise and I at least saw the potential in a bunch of Slytherins that were being stuffed into the same Malfoy trash. Unfortunately, it looks like my faith in that potential may have been mistaken."_

"_Susan," Blaise interrupted her, stepping between the two girls. "While every man would enjoy seeing the two of you continue; this needs to stop. Lenore, Susan did us a favor today and you need to apologize to her for your rather callous insinuations." _

_Lenore looked back up at Blaise and blinked, "You want me to apologize to a Hufflepuff?"_

_Blaise crossed his arms, "You insulted my friend, Lenore, and I expect you to apologize, especially since you are both on the same side of this particular debate."_

_Lenore frowned at Blaise and then turned to Susan, "I apologize," she muttered glaring first at Susan and then back to Blaise. "We need to be going. Everyone is waiting."_

_Blaise nodded, "I'll meet you there," and motioned for Lenore to leave them._

_Lenore looked from one to the other and turned on her heel stalking away. _

_Blaise leaned over to Susan whispering in her ear, "Do you see what I mean? Watch the parchment. We'll start tonight."_

_Blaise left Susan in the hallway and didn't look back as he walked away. Susan sighed and watched him go, wondering if she had lost her mind agreeing to be his friend._

Blaise's latest note in her hand brought her back to reality, "What did she want to know?" it read.

Susan jotted down, "Nothing. She just wanted to know if you had apologized."

Susan waited a moment and the reply came, "Hardly. Slytherins and Zabini's don't apologize."

Susan looked up at Hermione and scratched a quick reply, "Your words and your actions are two different things, Blaise. I know the difference."

"You changed your hair today," was Blaise's response.

"Do you like it? I had extra time. Luna didn't leave Neville in a good enough state to run very far this morning. I took it easy on him," Susan replied pretending to work on her essay. Still three more variations to go.

Blaise's neat hand responded, "It is a lucky bloke that has an over-zealous girlfriend as his worst problem."

"Jealous?" Susan wrote back.

"Every man would be jealous. Why do you run every day? A broom is faster."

Susan wrinkled her nose, "I like to run. It helps my stamina and improves my game. Do you want to try? If you didn't like my hair, you could have said so."

Blaise frowned nearby when he read her response. Watching Susan and Neville out run him did not sound like his idea of fun. Blaise wasn't about to be out done by Longbottom in any area. "I'd rather play Quidditch. I never said I didn't like your hair. Will you have time later tonight? I wanted to continue working with the youngsters on their defense spells."

Blaise looked over where Susan and Hermione sat studying. She looked beautiful sitting there with the evening sun glistening off of her hair. She read his note and then met his gaze. She smiled at him and he couldn't believe that he had ever thought her plain. She brushed her hair back over her shoulder and nodded once before turning back to her studies.

Susan scribbled, "Tonight, but Hermione's suspicious. I'm glad you like my hair."

Susan looked back to her friend and decided that it was her turn, "How's Ron doing since this weekend? I haven't noticed anything odd with the students from the article in the paper."

Hermione looked up and nodded, "Yes, you're right. He's fine, I think."

"He's been withdrawn the past couple of days. I would have thought he would be excited about this coming weekend, but he doesn't really seem to care," Susan offered. Ron had seemed particularly sad this entire week. His birthday was on Saturday and Susan hadn't heard of any plans to celebrate it.

"The Quidditch final isn't for a couple of weeks yet," Hermione replied focusing on her essay.

"Oh, well I thought there would be something planned, but if not I'll make sure to catch him on Saturday," Susan replied giving Hermione an odd look.

Hermione nodded and continued scribbling as quickly as possible. Half an hour later, she and Susan wrapped up their essays and left the library with plans to meet the following night. Blaise and his group had left half an hour before.

"Next week?" Susan asked as they left the library.

"Same time," Hermione replied. "The book was a lifesaver. I owe you one."

Susan laughed, "Hardly, that's just one less I owe you. Have a good evening, Hermione."

The sun that shone through Hermione's dorm window Friday morning was bright, as if heralding the coming spring. This, however, did not distract Hermione in the least. Hermione had finally made some rather amazing progress, if she did say so herself. She had spoken to the other members of their circle and made plans to meet that night. This would be their first attempt at using the Circle and Hermione had already mapped out how she wanted to try and use its power to amplify their own.

In addition, she had not only caught up with the two days worth of school work she had missed, but she was now eight days ahead in both her reading and lessons. This past afternoon had been dedicated to reading all the information she could lay her hands on regard enchanted Cauldrons and potion making.

As she took a moment to stretch she noticed that several crimson and gold flashes were darting around the Quidditch pitch and she remembered that there was a game coming very soon. She allowed herself a minute or two to gaze out of the window and then she turn resolutely back to her writings.

The longer Hermione pondered the possibilities the more she thought that it might be possible to combine the effects of the Circle and the Cauldron. If that were true, then she thought that some of the spells in the book Ron had given her might be even more powerful than what was expected.

Hermione's face twisted with worry as she thought of the upcoming test of the Circle. Normally she would have been thrilled at the thought of learning the secrets of a powerful artifact, like the Circle. Now, however, she was worried about the level of sharing she would have to under go with the other girls and with Ginny and Daphne in particular. Hermione hated that she had to keep anything from Ginny, but she was certain that Ginny would tell Ron about her plan to keep him safe. Daphne, on the other hand, might well use that same information to try and take Ron for herself.

Pushing the troubling thoughts to the side, she studied the diagram once again seeking for any weaknesses she might have missed before. The one thing she was certain of was each girl's role in the Circle. Hermione would, of course, be the center. She simply wouldn't risk anyone else in that position. Ginny would stand in the South, representing power and passion. Daphne would stand in the North, where she would represent cool reason and logic. Susan will stand for the east, for compassion ands strength come from the East. For the West where whimsy and innocence dwell, the Circle would have Luna. Those five would be basis for their Coven and the foundation upon which they cast. The others would stand between the Cardinal directions to complete the Circle.

Hermione was confident of the power and abilities of the four witches who stood in the positions of power. It was the ones who would fill in that concerned her the most. At times like this she regretted that the boys couldn't take part in this with her. After almost six years of constantly leaning on each other, it was a bit lonely having to go through something like this with out them. Hermione sighed and turned back to the task at hand. It would take at least two hours to prepare all the components needed for the first use of the Circle. It would have been nice if she could have felt comfortable enough to leave this task to someone else, but in the end her need for perfection outweighed the time constraints and she took care of the task herself.

Hermione really wanted to tell the other girls why she was doing this, but she was certain it would only work if Ron didn't know what was going to happen. Ginny might never talk to her again when it was all said and done, but that was a risk Hermione was aware of. She had tried to tell him how worried she was about him, but it didn't change anything. This past weekend had decided it for her. Two separate incidents where he could have died. Two reckless acts. Hermione couldn't allow anything to happen to Ron and if she had to break a few rules, well then so be it. Hermione's fingers gently traced the binding rune as her thoughts wandered, once the word was spoken the compound in the cauldron would transform form a mere mingling of various ingredients into a complex potion capable of magic only the most powerful wizards would attempt.

For a brief moment, Hermione was concerned that Luna might not be ready for such a powerful first attempt, but brushed her own doubts aside at she realized how unworthy they were. Luna would want to be there as much as Hermione needed her to be there. Of course, Hermione would have to work a charm of silence into the spell so the others couldn't simply tell Ron what was going to happen. Hermione was certain that the Circle would realize the ramifications as soon as the spell was completed. If she was lucky, Hermione might be able to conceal it's purpose from Ginny, but that would take almost as much effort as the spell itself.

Only one more thing and the plan would be set into motion. All she had to do was make another trip into Snape's storage closet.

"Ron I think we should call practice for now, what do you think?" Harry called out trying to be heard over the rising winds.

"Too right mate. It's getting a bit dangerous up here and our lighter players are getting blown around too much."

With a signal from Harry, all the Quidditch players descended and headed for the locker room and broom shed. "We better hurry mate. It looks like it's going to rain any second," Ron called out to Harry over the wind.

"Don't tell me that the big, brave shape-shifter is afraid of a little rain," Harry shot back with a grin.

Ron laughed and then smirked, "I just don't want to give Filch any reason to give me a detention. I've been pretty luck so far and I don't want to risk it this weekend."

"What's so special about this weekend?" Harry teased.

"Oh nothing really, just the seventeenth anniversary of the birth of the only boy to be a better Quidditch player than the Boy Who Lived," Ron called over his shoulder.

"You really need to introduce me to that boy some time, Ron. Maybe he can play Keeper for me. Now that my Keeper has gotten such a big head, it might affect his flying."

Ron burst out in laughter as he headed towards the Castle, "Well, since I have such a big head, then you won't mind if I go drink the last butterbeer we have." That said, Ron took off for the Castle at a run. Harry only waited a moment before he started to chase after him, determined not to let that big prat drink his last butterbeer.

Once they were both safely inside Gryffindor Tower, Ron and Harry split the last butterbeer and sat in silence for a while, until Ron turned to look at Harry, "You know mate, I think this is going to be a really great weekend."

Harry nodded, but as soon as Ron looked away, he frowned and wondered what he and Ginny were going to do if Hermione continued to hide out for the rest of the weekend. Ginny had mentioned that she thought Hermione didn't realize that it was Ron's birthday. If that was the case, Harry had less than a day to figure out what to do. Ron wouldn't get his good weekend if Hermione wasn't a big part of wishing him a happy birthday the following day.

The wind had really started to pick up since they had left the castle and the simple robes that all the girls whipped around in the gusting wind. All the girls had taken up their positions and hermione was ready to start the call their power. Only one thing remained and Hermione was dreading it. As Hermione looked around the Circle she found all eyes were looking for her as the other waited for her signal.

With a sigh Hermione reached up and undid the clasp of her robes and let them fall to the earth. Hermione flushed with embarassment as she saw the other follow her lead and soon they were all standing at their positions totally naked. This part of the ritual had not pleased Hermione in the least but the texts had been quite specific about how they would be able to more freely share power when as the book stated "Unfettered by the restrictions of convention.".

As she looked to make certain everyone was ready Hermione coudn't help but compare her own body unfavorablly to the other girls. to her eyes they all seemed so beautiful and she felt more than a little intimidated. She shook her head and focused on the task at hand. With a nod to Ginny she chanted the incantation to activate the circle and instantly she felt the stones begin to throb with power.

The whipped through Ginny's hari as she raised her arms and called out. "I call on the fires of the south, let their passion and fury power our quest for justice."

"Where is the lover?" Hermione called out to her.

"He is not needed here but we honor him." Ginny replied.

As Ginny spoke a silvery mist formed infront of her and briefly took the shape of a stag before being dispursed by the wind. Hermione smiled at the sight and then turned to the north and faced Daphne. As soon as she had turned around Daphne lifted her arms and cried out. "Let the powers of the North grant us their cool logic and wisdom."

"Where is the Bard?" Hermione challenged.

"He is not needed here but we honor him." Daphne smiled as the silver mist took the shape of a harp before dispating.

As Hermione faced Susan she was warmed by the gentle smile the other girl gave her in greeting.

"In the East dwells the strength of a mother love and the compassion of the noble victor. Let it guide is in all that we do." Susan smiled as she too lifted her arms.

Returning her smile Hermione asked her. "Where is the Nobleman?"

"He is not needed here but we honor him." came the reply.

Hermione turned to face Luna and as always she seemed to know something the rest of them didn't. "Let us be like children in all that we do. Let the wonder in the West keep our hearts light and spirts strong."

"Where is the Tiller of soil?"

Luna smiled "He is not needed here but we honor him."

As soon as the last word had left Luna's mouth Hermione flet her body tingle as their joined power surged into her and her mind reeled with all the new knowledge and sensations that flood her mind. Dimly she new that the others were having a similar if less intense experience as she was. Hermione struggled and managed to clear her mind to complete her part of the joining.

"In center are all things blended so that the excesses may be avoided for the good of all. Let us be always willing to share for the greater good." she gasped.

All the voices of the Circle save Hermione's joined togerher to ask one question. "Where is the warrior?"

Hermione felt a rush of passion as she answered "He is not needed here but we honor him."

The silver mists parted and for a moment the outline of a golden lion prowled in front of her and then the power became to much to bear and everything went black.

Hermione woke up early on Saturday morning. She hurried to dress and make it to the Great Hall for breakfast before she was scheduled to meet with Professor Snape to continue their work on the Cauldron. As she entered the Hall she found Neville and Harry happily eating their way through a mountain of food between the two of them.

"Good morning, Hermione," Neville announced motioning for her to join them.

"Have you seen Ron this morning?" she asked as she watched Harry load his plate with pancakes and fruit.

This question caused both Neville and Harry to start laughing again, "Ron lost today. His luck finally ran out and he got to go with Susan for one of her long runs. Madame Pomfrey finally allowed her to increase her distance back up to what she had been running before the Darken Wolves."

"Then why are you both here? I thought you all ran together?"

"Some days," Harry replied. "Neville's leg isn't healed yet and I've been keeping up with my running during the week. Ron's been behind though and truthfully he's the best one of us at keeping up with her."

"So, what are your plans for today?" Harry asked her.

"None," Hermione replied, "Just more research. I am still rather behind on a number of different things."

"Good morning," Ginny and Luna greeted the group before Harry could ask another question.

"Morning," they chorused. Hermione grabbed another bite of toast and rose to her feet eager to get back to work on the Cauldron, "I have to be going. I will see you all later."

The two couples watched her go and Harry whispered, "I don't think she realizes that today's Ron's birthday."

"I warned you," Ginny replied.

Harry shook his head, "We need to plan a party, and fast, for tonight. Ron's going to be down right depressed if everyone, but Hermione, remembers. If we make it a surprise party, and everyone pretends to have forgotten about his birthday, then he won't be suspicious of Hermione."

Ginny frowned, "We should let her and Ron work this out for themselves. I don't particularly like covering for her."

"They will work it out, but it's his birthday. Do you really want to wreck it for both of them?" Harry pressed.

"Fine, but I'm going to talk to Hermione again. She's making a big mistake," Ginny replied. "In the meantime, we throw him a party. We owe both of them at least that much."

"Well, there's four of us here," Neville interrupted. "Let's get a plan going while he and Susan are out. If we can warn everyone before they get back, we may be able to pull off the surprise."

The day flew by for everyone. Harry and Ginny organized their friends into preparing the Room of Requirements for the surprise later that night. Even Daphne and Blaise made a trip into Hogsmeade of supplies for the event. Neville and Luna kept Ron busy throughout the day and no one saw Hermione to tell her of their plans. Thus the hours sped by as Ron's mood progressively darkened, Hermione progressed on her research, and everyone else prepared for the night's entertainment.

Daphne and Blaise left the dungeons together on their way to Ron's surprise party. Blaise found himself hurrying, glad that tonight he would be able to see Susan in a more relaxed atmosphere than the lessons they had been giving to the first years or in those short notes in between classes. Daphne levitated a large box of supplies along behind them, for a rare instance, without complaint.

"So, did you apologize to her?" Daphne asked with a smirk. "You're walking a little fast."

"Of course not," Blaise replied. "Why would I?"

"Oh, I don't know," Daphne smiled. "So, what did you say?"

Blaise stopped, the prediction Susan had made in the Divination Classroom had disturbed him for some time. "She read my fortune," he answered Daphne who looked up at him puzzled.

"What?" she asked. "You hate Divination. You think it is rubbish."

"And most of it is," Blaise replied. "Her predictions though, the whole thing seemed too accurate to dismiss outright."

Daphne quirked an eyebrow and pulled Blaise into a nearby classroom, lowering the box to the floor, "Start from the beginning."

Blaise paced around the room recalling each moment in detail from that night.

_Blaise watched as Susan walked into the room. Her limp even more pronounced and her face tinged with red from exertion. Blaise frowned, annoyed that she hadn't said anything, "Sit," he told her pulling out a chair at one of the nearby tables._

_Susan looked at him closely for a minute, but eventually took the seat he was offering, "Thank you."_

_Blaise walked around the table suddenly unsure of how to begin. He watched Susan look around the room and brush some loose hair out of her face. She unwound her braid running her hands through its waves as if straightening it before pulling it back from her face once more. _

_Susan glanced at him briefly and he realized that she was waiting for him to start. "Don't," Blaise told her as she started to fasten her hair back once more._

"_Excuse me?" Susan asked her face incredulous._

"_Don't. It looks better down," he replied mentally kicking himself. What had possessed him to come up with that rubbish?_

_Susan looked at him and shrugged, but stopped playing with her hair. Blaise's frown deepened, he needed to talk to her, but was unsure of how to begin. "I can't think of the last time I was in this room," he offered looking around to the small tables and chairs. Blaise inhaled the ever present smell of incense, heavy in the air._

"_Thursday afternoon," Susan replied shortly reaching her hand into her pocket._

"_You're in Divination still? I thought it was a small class?" Blaise asked surprised that Susan would waste her time with such rubbish._

"_It is. There are only fifteen sixth years that are taking Advanced Divination," Susan replied her hand._

_Blaise nodded, not really caring. His estimation of Susan had admittedly declined, "Why waste your time with such a useless class?"_

_Susan looked up at him sharply, "I am taking all of the coursework required for Healer training and this class," she snapped._

_Blaise's amusement returned at her annoyance, "I see. Once again, why waste your time?"_

_Susan reached into her pocket and pulled out a wooden box and set it in the middle of the table. "Those," she said pointing at the box. "Most of this stuff doesn't work for me, but Professor Trelawney and Firenze said I show a lot of promise with those."_

_Blaise looked at the box with interest, it meant nothing to him, "What is it?"_

"_Tarot," Susan replied. "I can read tarot cards."_

_Blaise snorted, "Tarot? Susan, honestly."_

_Susan's eyes narrowed at Blaise's mockery, "When was the last time you had your fortune told?"_

"_Never," Blaise replied. "What makes you think they work?"_

"_Well, I knew to take the Blood Replenishment tablets with me today for Ron, I knew that Draco and I were going to have a certain discussion in the Great Hall, and a number of confusing readings I have had regarding a wavering relationship could be attributed to one other person I know," Susan replied placing her hand protectively over the box as she realized what she said._

"_There are many different meanings to the word relationship," she growled her face tinged with red._

_Blaise looked at her with interest once more. He had not missed her reference to him and their predicament, but he still wasn't sure of how to move forward._

"_Very well then. Read mine," Blaise spoke up waving towards the box. "Let's see what my future holds."_

_Susan looked at him, "This isn't a joke, Blaise. If you want to, we can, but I'm not going to do this unless you're serious. The cards will know if you don't believe them."_

"_The cards will know? Why do you have them with you at all?" Blaise countered._

_Susan blushed and looked down, "They are mine and are imprinted to me. Professor Trelawney says to keep them with you and it will help them become more sensitive."_

_Blaise nodded, "Thus you'd rather me not hurt their feelings?" he laughed._

"_Forget it," Susan finished, stuffing the box back in her robes. "I'm sorry I mentioned it. What did you want to talk about so we can leave?"_

_Blaise's frown returned, this was definitely not going well, "No, Susan, truly, I will be serious. Why don't you try reading my fortune? It will be good practice."_

"_Blaise," Susan argued rising to her feet._

_Blaise frowned, he didn't want her to leave. "Honestly Susan, no jokes. I'll be serious. Just sit down."_

_Susan looked at him, unsure whether to stay or to leave. Blaise rose to his feet, determined to convince her to stay. He motioned back towards her chair, "Please." _

_Susan hesitated for a moment and then resumed her seat and Blaise relaxed following suit._

Blaise shook his head, "It started with an innocent comment about the last time I had been in the Divination classroom, when she told me she was still taking the class. I told her that I thought the idea of it was rubbish, but she convinced me enough to just try having her read my fortune. In her own words, she said most of the mediums were nothing to her, but her Professors thought that she had some talent with the cards."

"So, she read your fortune," Daphne prompted with a smile.

"No, she read a fortune focused on finding the answer to a question," Blaise corrected.

"What was the question?" Daphne asked finding Blaise's behavior very peculiar. It gave her the chills. Very little affected Blaise, and this must have been good.

"I wanted to know what needed to be done to solve the split in our House," Blaise replied.

Daphne nodded, "What did she find?"

_Susan opened the box and removed a bundle wrapped in blue silk. She spread it across the table to reveal a pile of slightly worn cards. Here she hesitated looking back up at him, "Blaise, there are a number of different variations on spreads and what they are telling a person. I think we will start with one that answers, 'What is to be done?' It's not too complicated and probably the most 'useful.' I am going to shuffle the deck and I want you to focus on a question you want the answer to. Keep the question in mind. I am going to spread the cards out on the table, and then I want you to select seven at random."_

_Blaise nodded watching Susan as he considered what he should ask. Susan wanted him to ask a question and two were on his mind. Since one involved her rather intimately, he chose the second._

_Susan watched him carefully and he closed his eyes to keep from being distracted, "What is to be done with the split in the Slytherin House?" he asked the cards repeating the question in his mind. He felt ridiculous, but Susan's focus prevented him from making a joke._

_When Blaise felt like he had his question firmly in mind, he opened his eyes to see the cards spread before him, "Please choose seven," Susan told him intent on his reactions._

_Blaise reached forward and kept his hand above the cards concentrating on his question. He slid seven cards towards him and out of the deck._

"_Very good," Susan spoke gathering the unselected cards and moving them away. She gathered the last seven and again she shuffled them in her hands, this time her eyes were closed and her forehead was creased in concentration._

_She stopped and opened her eyes. She took one card from her hand and placed it on the table to her left, "This card signifies that which is ending. Justice reversed represents bias, lies, intolerance, unfairness and abuse." Blaise nodded, the problems with the Slytherin House came to mind for him and his issues with Malfoy's crew._

_Susan turned over another card, "This card represents the Present. The three of swords, this card signifies a possible civil war, affections experiencing 'stormy weather' or possible a separation of lovers."_

_Blaise nodded again, luck and chance could have pulled those two cards. A Civil War described what had started that day with Susan's outburst and affections wavering, Blaise chose to ignore that implication._

_Susan continued, "The third card is the Future, or more appropriately, 'That which is beginning.'" Susan turned over the Seven of Wands, "This card warns of us of an upcoming fight or battle, stiff competition, and the ability to meet your adversaries on an even playing field. However, this card also has positive connotations of courage and victory."_

"So, she pulled up cards regarding Malfoy in the past, a Civil War in the present, and stiff competition in the future?" Daphne asked. "Blaise, lots of those cards have similar meanings. Did you tell her your question before she began?"

"No," he snapped. "I'm telling you Daphne, it was odd. It didn't feel like some big joke or something to be ignored. No, it wasn't because of the girl either, don't even think that!"

Daphne quirked an eyebrow, "I wasn't, but was that all? It hardly seems like something you should concern yourself with."

"No, it became even stranger," Blaise replied.

_Blaise nodded, an upcoming battle was definitely a concern of his. He found himself more and more curious to see the other four cards._

"_The fourth gives us hints towards the direction to follow," Susan explained as she turned up the fourth card. "Strength upright is another powerful card. This card explains that the way to reach your goal is by strength, courage, determination, action, and conviction."_

_Blaise leaned forward, four out of four disturbed him, but he chose not to say anything until she had finished._

"_The fifth is rather ambiguous. It warns of influences on your path, but they may be helpful or harmful," Susan explained turning over the next card. "The King of Wands reversed; severe quarrels, prejudice and intolerance affect the path to reach your goal."_

_Susan continued, "The sixth represents your hopes and fears. The Nine of Pentacles reversed, warns of the possibility of loss, danger from thieves or villains, and above all caution."_

_Here Susan paused looking at the previous six, "The final card is the outcome," she warned Blaise and placed the card on the table. "The Ace of Swords, upright," she finished. "The beginning of a victory, the ability to love or hate with passion, and the third meaning. . . a valiant leader may be born."_

"The beginning of a victory? That's the solution? A beginning is no victory," Daphne interrupted.

"I agree," Blaise replied as he continued his pacing.

"The ability to love or hate with passion? One of the Gryffindors perhaps?" Daphne asked.

"I thought Divination was joke?" Blaise asked his sarcasm returning.

"It doesn't hurt to look at all of the angles," Daphne replied.

"A valiant leader is born," Daphne finished. "Potter or Weasley?" she guessed.

"I considered it, but it doesn't feel right that it would be either of them. Nor do I think a Slytherin is the key," Blaise replied.

"I have to agree," Daphne replied. "We need to find a valiant leader."

"I am sure they run around with signs on them," Blaise replied running his hand through his dark hair in frustration.

"You believe this reading," Daphne stated. "It wouldn't be bothering you so much if you didn't."

Blaise shook his head, "I won't say that I believe it, but I don't think we should ignore it either."

Daphne nodded, "Information is key." She stood back up and looked at her friend, "Why don't we go see your fortune teller? The party will be underway soon."

Blaise opened the door for Daphne as they returned to the hallway, "In the end, did she know what your question was?"

"She knew," Blaise replied with a small smile that he hid as quickly as it had come.

Hermione trudged up the last steps to the entrance to the Common Room. She was tired, the first trial with the Circle had taken more out of her than she had expected. That and skipping lunch and dinner had sapped what little strength she had left. All she wanted was a sandwich and her bed in short order. Hermione reminded herself to get Blaise to go over the wards to the room that she and Professor McGonagall had set as an extra precaution.

Although, as Hermione reached the last few steps she saw Susan sitting outside waiting for her, she knew that bed would be a long time in coming. Susan wore muggle clothing as if she was going into Hogsmeade, but she wasn't smiling.

"Hermione, sit down, will you?" Susan asked taking the books away from her as she motioned for Hermione to sit next to her.

"What's the occasion?" Hermione asked. "You look nice."

"Thanks," Susan smiled. "Lavender talked me into buying the skirt earlier this year."

Susan smoothed her skirt and then pushed her long hair back over her shoulder, "Hermione, do you know what today is?"

"Susan, it's March 1. That's the third time you've asked me," Hermione replied. "What is it that you are so concerned that I am missing? Can we talk about it in the morning? I've had a rather long day," Hermione replied trying to keep the annoyance from her voice as she rose once again.

"Hermione, Ron turns 17 today," Susan told her, ignoring the touch of temper. Through the Circle, Susan had become much more aware of how hard Hermione had been pushing herself. She saw the signs of it the dark circles undernearth Hermione's eyes and signs of strain in her movements.

For her part, Hermione couldn't believe it. How could she have forgotten? So many things made sense to her all in one moment and the guilt that came from that one sentence threatened to bury her alive. Hermione's eyes filled with water and she looked up at the ceiling willing the tears not to flow.

Susan rose and put one hand on her shoulder, "Harry and Ginny realized you had forgotten earlier and we have all thrown a surprise party for Ron in the Room of Requirement. Luna is delaying a rather unhappy Ron until we get you to the party."

"Then why are you here?" Hermione asked. "Where's Harry or Ginny?" Hermione winced as she realized how rude the question had seemed. "Susan, I didn't mean it like that."

"Hermione," Susan shook her head, "Forget it. Everyone is waiting in the Room of Requirement," Susan replied. Susan knew Ginny was in a right state, and didn't need to ruin Hermione's day any further. She needed to get her dressed and ready. Telling her about Ginny's anger would not get her to the party any sooner. "I told them I would wait for you. They were busy wrapping up a few last minute details," Susan replied.

"They must think I am horrible," Hermione murmured. "Merlin, Ron must be furious with me," Hermione wiped her eyes again. "I can't go in there, they will all know."

"No, they won't. Only a few of us have any idea, it's a surprise party and as long as you beat Ron to the party, then he will have no idea. You just need to smile and enjoy yourself," Susan explained picking up Hermione's books. "We need to get moving, Hermione or everyone's efforts will be for nought."

Hermione hesitated and then nodded before walking towards the entrance with Susan at her heels. "Sue, how could I have forgotten this?" she murmured as she entered the Common Room.

"It happens," she replied. "Let's get you looking spectacular and get to the party. Ron will have a wonderful night and you can help give him that. Everything else we can deal with later."

"Where the hell is she?" Ginny huffed as she helped Harry set up the last bit of the decorations.

"Calm down Ginny, Susan will find her and get her here as soon as possible."

"Maybe so Harry, but why should Susan have to do it in the first place? Shouldn't Hermione remember Ron's birthday on her own?" Ginny pressed.

"Come on Gin, you're not being quite fair. We all lean on Hermione too much and we expect a lot from her. So sometimes she's going to get caught up in what she's doing and forget things."

"Sure, I can see that, but she never forgets a class does she? She doesn't forget to study for a test or do her Prefect duties. No, she forgets my brother's birthday and I have every right to be angry with her."

"Ron's a big boy now Gin, I think he could handle a little disappointment. Fortunately, he's not going to have to, because we have everything under control," Harry said calmly as he tried to reassure her.

"You don't get it, do you Harry? I know Ron has come into his own a good bit this year, but deep down inside he's still the same little boy who always worried about not being good enough. That's why he always throws himself into the things he does. The crazy thing is that Hermione worries about him being to reckless, but this is just the kind of thing that might make him even more so."

Harry shook his head, "Of all the things that may or may not cause him to act reckless, forgetting a birthday isn't one of them."

Ginny was about to retort when the door to the Room of Requirement opened and Blaise and Daphne walked in trailing a large box behind them.

"What's in the box?" Harry questioned.

Daphne grinned and reached down and flipped open the top, revealing several dozen bottles of butterbeer. Blaise reached down and grabbed a pair of the bottles and tossed two of them to each of the Gryffindors.

"We thought it would be nice to have some since I remember Ron asking that the two of you had run out," Daphne smiled while getting one for herself and Blaise.

A comfortable silence feel over the four of them, and after a few minutes they could her several voices singing that seemed to be getting closer. A minute later the door opened again and several students burst through, singing at the top of their lungs. Seamus, Dean, Colin and Neville seemed to be singing some sort of Irish folk song, because only Seamus seemed to know all of the words. After a rousing flourish at the end, Seamus reached into his robes pulled out a half full bottle of a clear liquor and took a healthy swig and then passed it over to Dean who followed suit.

"Great Merlin they're trolleyed," Ginny laughed.

Seamus straighten up and fixed Ginny with a mock glare, "I'll have you know that I'm only a bit tipsy." As soon as he said the words he broke out into gales of laughter with Dean, Colin and Neville joined him.

"It's a good thing Filch didn't catch them moving around the Castle. McGonnagll would give them a years worth of detentions, at the very least, Harry noted.

"Colin, I'm surprised at you," Ginny admonished. "Besides, what are your girlfriends going to say when they catch you like this?"

Colin lurched over to Ginny and kissed her cheek, "Oy, Ginny, don't worry. I have my camera, it's just a bit of harmless fun."

Ginny laughed and shrugged him off. "You're all going to regret it in the morning and I'm not going to be nice about it."

"It's just a bit of harmless fun?" Daphne asked taking the bottle from Seamus and taking a long drink herself. "Just as I suspected."

"What are you drinking?" Blaise asked, his curiosity overcoming him.

Daphne handed the bottle to Blaise with a hiccup. Seamus laughed and explained while Blaise smelled the bottle, but detected nothing wrong, "It's called Potcheen and it's the finest thing to come from my lovely birthplace," Seamus paused for a moment, and then looked at Daphne. "Well, one of the finest things anyway."

Blaise looked over at Daphne and to his surprise, she was smiling back at the Irishman with a grin of her own. This unnerved Blaise and to cover his confusion, he took a healthy drink of the clear Irish liquor. He quickly forgot about Daphne's reaction when the harsh burning liquid hit the back of his throat and he started to cough as his eyes watered.

"You could clean out cauldron bottoms with that stuff Finnegan," he managed to cough out.

"Just because you don't have a taste for the finer things in life, doesn't mean you should be cruel about it," Seamus retorted and then reached in his robes and pulled out a full bottle. "Where is the man of the hour? I have another bottle for him. When a boy becomes a man he should not have to drink butterbeer."

"If you give Ron that bottle Hermione will never forgive you Seamus." Daphne said with a smirk.

"Well then, Ron will have to deal with his little collen then. I've had it with bossy women. Bloody Lavender."

Ginny frowned at Seamus, "Something happen between you and Lavender?"

Seamus waved her off dismissively, "I've just had it with not being appreciated. Just because a lass has a pretty face, doesn't mean she can treat a bloke like he's lucky to be with her."

Ginny and Harry looked at each other and then back to Dean for a translation, "They are on the splits. I would call it mutual," Dean explained. "Speaking of, where are the girls at? Seriously? Six blokes and two birds don't make much of a party."

"I'm sure more people will be here soon," Ginny smiled as the door opened once more.

By the time Hermione had finished showering and changing, her guilt had resurfaced. She sat, dressed and ready to go, but couldn't find the strength to regain her feet.

"Susan," Hermione began looking at her reflection in the mirror, "I can't do this. You should just go without me."

Susan sighed, and moved so that she stood before Hermione where she sat on the bed. "Hermione, these are your friends and they are all waiting on you. Ron's thinking that everyone has forgotten his big day and his happiness is hinging on you being there. You owe it to him to be there. I know you feel bad, but at least be there, allow your friends to help you for a change, and try to have fun for all of our sakes. That includes your own. You looked like you were ready to drop when you got back here," Susan stated, her hands upon her hips frowning down at Hermione.

"You're right, I just hate this," Hermione exclaimed rising to her feet once more.

"I know, but you have got to learn to trust other people Hermione. You don't have to do everything yourself. How ever do you expect to handle being Head Girl without using others to help you plan? It's just the same thing. You have to learn to work with other people. You'll end up killing yourself if you don't," Susan admonished once again.

"How did you get so wise?" Hermione asked Susan trying to relax and focus on something other than her own failings.

"My Aunt knows more about working with people than I will ever understand. I just listen and try to follow her advice; it's worked so far," Susan replied.

"Let's talk about something else," Hermione continued as they walked towards to the Room of Requirement. Discussing her schedule wasn't going to help distract her from the butterflies in her stomach. "So, are you looking forward to seeing Blaise tonight? Is everything going well with him?"

Susan laughed, "Hermione, what did you expect to happen in two days? I guess everything is just like it was. I invited Ernie to come with me tonight though. Blaise and I are friends, but he is always with Daphne. Since a number of other people were going to be here, I thought Ernie and I would have a few laughs and enjoy ourselves."

Hermione blinked, "You're kidding! You invited Ernie?"

"Just as friends," Susan replied. "If Blaise wants us to keep up this secret friendship, then I have every right to invite whomever I want. Ernie's fun, and a good friend of mine. Besides, he likes to dance and that is always nice to have in a date."

"Susan, I'm impressed," Hermione chuckled. "You know Blaise isn't going to like that you are there with Ernie."

"Sure," Susan replied with a smile and wink. "Since we're 'not friends' in public, what does it matter to him? He's always got his back up female friend, why can't I bring a man for me?"

"Oh, this will be worth it. If nothing else, just to watch the two of you!"

"Well, I am glad I am here for your amusement," Susan laughed in response. "I just think that my favorite Slytherin should be taken down a peg or two. I will admit I agreed to his plan for now, I just want him to be aware of the drawbacks to it as well. This won't work forever."

Susan and Hermione turned the final corner and Hermione's laughter died as she saw the door. "Susan," Hermione whispered.

Susan and Hermione stopped in front of the door. Sounds of loud music and people's voices behind the door could be heard. "Only a few of us know you forgot, to everyone else, everything is fine. Just put a smile on your face, snog Ron senseless when you see him, promise to give him his present later, in private, and try to have fun. If you need to talk, you know where I am."

Hermione nodded, "Thanks," she whispered as she opened the door.

Silence fell as they entered the room, Hermione paled, but Susan smiled and laughed, "Surprise! Luna and Ron should be here in about five more minutes,"

Hermione looked around and saw all of the sixth year Gryffindors, the members of the Gryffindor quidditch team, everyone in Ron's defense group, Daphne and Blaise, and a number of other people dancing, eating, playing Exploding Snap, or just gossiping.

Harry approached them, "Susan, I see you found our missing girl. You're developing a talent for it,"

"Everyone needs at least one talent," Susan smiled as she looked past Harry.

Ernie walked over and slung an arm across Susan's shoulders, "I thought you had forgotten."

"Not at all," Susan replied. "I was just helping Hermione get ready."

Hermione noticed Blaise nearby with a frown across his features, but Susan ignored him. "Let's get something to eat. I missed dinner at some point. Hermione, do you want anything?"

Hermione smiled, "Sure, I'll catch up to you."

Susan looked from one to the other and nodded, allowing Ernie to lead her away.

"Thank you," Hermione whispered not wanting to look at Harry.

"Hey," he exclaimed, "Hermione, look at me."

Hermione looked up to him, "Yes?"

"It was nice to help you out for a change. I know you've been pushing yourself extremely hard. You've got to find some sort of balance though. It's going to hurt your friendships, especially with a couple of red heads you know."

"Ron?" Hermione asked biting her lip.

"Doesn't know a thing and will be pleasantly surprised when he gets here."

"Who then?" Hermione asked before putting it together herself, "Ginny."

"I'm afraid she isn't as happy. You're going to need to speak to her, but she's the only one that's upset. Just remember that," Harry warned her.

"Thanks," Hermione replied relieved and worried. "I'll speak to her after Ron gets here."

Harry nodded, "I think Susan's making a plate for you. Which reminds me, what's Ernie doing with her? I thought she and Blaise were an item of some sort."

Hermione shook her head, "She and Blaise are officially a non-item and I think Susan is making a point in regards to that. She and Ernie are just friends."

Harry shook his head, "Girls."

"Don't worry, we say the same thing about you," Hermione replied. "I'm going to go catch up with her."

"They are almost here!" Ginny called out coming back into the room, "Everyone, get quiet!"

The music died and everyone grew quiet as the door swung open, "Luna, I'm telling you, I really would rather head back to the Common Room."

"Just one more," Luna replied as she stepped into the room.

"Surprise!" everyone shouted and the lights came on to reveal a stunned Ron and a smiling Luna.

"What is going on here?"

Ginny walked forward and hugged her big brother. "It's a surprise party, you prat. You didn't think we forgot your birthday, did you?"

Ron blushed a bit, "Well, I just reckoned everyone was so busy with all the things going on, that it slipped everybody's mind."

Seamus half stumbled over to Ron and threw his arm around him, "Rubbish mate, we'd never forget the birthday of one of Gryffindors finest." Seamus lowered his voice for a moment and turned to face Ron, "So tell me mate, do you think I could get Daphne to go out with me?"

Seamus's question caught Ron by surprise, "What about Lavendar?"

"Ancient history," Seamus slurred his reply, "So? What about Greengrass?"

Ron coughed for a moment before he could respond, "I think Daphne would be crazy not to go out with you, Seamus. I will say this though, I have become very fond of Daphne and I would hate to see her get hurt. Don't screw it up."

Seamus nodded at him seriously, "Not for all the gold at the end of the rainbow, mate."

Ron laughed as Seamus stumbled a bit and slowly walked over to where Daphne and Blaise stood talking. Ron greeted everyone as he started looking for a certain dark haired Gryffindor. He found her talking to Susan and Ernie MacMillon. She looked uncomfortable and tired, but she was trying to put on a good face. Ron walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, "Alright there, love?"

Hermione tensed and spun around, "I, yes. Happy birthday."

Ron smiled and kissed her cheek, "Thanks, hon."

"Let's give these two love birds some privacy," Ernie spoke up. "Happy birthday, Ron."

"Thanks Ernie," Ron spoke up taking the Hufflepuffs hand.

Ron looked from Ernie to Susan with a question on his face. Susan shook her head and gave Ron a hug and whispered, "Ask Hermione to explain it."

"Happy birthday Ron," Susan added. "OK, let's go say catch up to Luna."

Ron watched Ernie and Susan walk away, "What's going on with that?" he asked Hermione.

Hermione stared off in the distance and didn't reply until he asked her a second time. She blinked and looked up at him, "Sorry just wrapped up in thought."

"You weren't thinking about a certain, extremely attractive Gryffindor Keeper, were you?" Ron teased.

Hermione smiled at the easy banter Ron always seemed to slip into, "As hard as it might be for you to imagine, I don't always think about you every minute of the day."

Ron laughed, but he never noticed that Hermione's smile never reached her eyes. Ginny and Harry came to join them and caught the tail end of Hermione's teasing. Ginny frowned at Hermione before offering Ron a bottle of butterbeer and a plate full of his favorite sweets.

Ron reached out and gave his sister a hug, her hands full of food, before taking a pull at his bottle of butterbeer, "I reckon I owe you all for setting this up. You had me fooled."

"You're welcome," Ginny replied pointedly ignoring Hermione at his side as she walked away from the couple.

Some one turned on the Wizarding Wireless broadcast and several couples started dancing, including Susan and Ernie, Lavendar and Blaise, and even a drunk Seamus and an amused looking Daphne. Well, they were dancing as well as one perfectly sober person and one very drunk person can. Nevertheless, Ron thought they looked happy and really, that was all that mattered.


	74. A House Divided

Hermione and Ron wandered around the room talking to the various people that had come to help. Hermione tried to follow Susan's advice and keep a positive attitude, but as the evening continued, she grew more and more tired and the effort to keep smiling for Ron's benefit was taking its toll. For his part, Ron seemed to be enjoying himself and his recent experiences hadn't affected his friendships as he had originally feared. Hermione had stopped wearing the necklace a few weeks prior when she realized that Ron was blocking the necklace affects, but truly she didn't need it. Especially on nights like this one.

"Hermione, do you want to dance?" Ron asked turning to her as they left Colin, Luna and Neville.

"Sure," she replied as they walked towards the dance floor. At least in dancing Hermione wouldn't have to keep up with the small talk with the others.

Ron held her close to him and smiled down at her, "This was wonderful, thank you for planning it. I thought you had forgotten with all of your other projects going on."

"I'm glad you are enjoying the party," Hermione replied leaning her forehead against his chin. If she stayed close enough, he wouldn't be able to see her embarrassment at the lie.

They danced that way through the rest of the song until a tap on her shoulder interrupted them, "If you will pardon me, I believe its my turn to dance with the birthday boy," Daphne's voice interrupted them.

Hermione nodded and stepped away, grateful for the break as she faced Daphne's previous partner. Blaise offered her his hand and held her at a distance, "At least this way, you won't have to worry about your toes."

Hermione nodded and followed his lead finding this a good opportunity to discuss the events from the Castle, "I know who Val is," she whispered up to Blaise.

Blaise quirked an eyebrow, "I suspected as much. I think they have known for awhile about each other."

Hermione looked over at the couple dancing close by, laughing and relaxed, "They are obviously better friends than I had anticipated."

"A just answer," he replied as he turned them and a frown flashed across his face.

"What is it?" Hermione asked the proud Slytherin.

Blaise looked down at Hermione and shook his head, "Nothing."

He turned them again and Hermione saw Susan and Ernie talking to Luna and Neville over near one of the food tables. "I see," Hermione smiled up at Blaise. "You know why, don't you?"

Blaise looked down at Hermione and narrowed his eyes, "I don't know what you mean."

Hermione rolled her eyes in reply, "Blaise, she's making a point and doing what you told her to do. You should go ask her to dance with you. Ernie's just a friend."

Blaise grew quiet and stiff, obviously uncomfortable with the subject. Hermione searched around for a change of subject, "Blaise, I need you to check some wards I have set tomorrow, if you have some time," Hermione asked him.

"Wards?" Blaise asked. "Where?"

"We'll just look at them after lunch tomorrow, if you are free. I want to make sure I didn't miss anything."

"You? Granger, don't tell me you're slipping," Blaise replied.

"Hardly, but it doesn't pay to be too cautious," Hermione replied as the song ended. "Now, go ask that Hufflepuff to dance with you. She's been waiting for you to do that all night."

Blaise ignored her as he returned to Daphne, on the opposite side of the room where Susan was standing. Hermione looked over to her friend who saw the entire thing. Susan looked worried. Hermione nodded to her friend and decided to try to break the ice with Ginny.

Hermione found Ginny serving punch at one of the nearby tables; she didn't look pleased. Hermione took a deep breath and began, "Thank you."

Ginny shrugged a shoulder, "I didn't do this for you."

Hermione nodded, "I know."

"What you know isn't the problem. It's what you don't know that is," Ginny snapped a little too loudly. Several people glanced towards the two of them as Ginny pulled Hermione over into a corner.

Ginny started in again, "Look, we're friends, but Ron's my brother. Hermione, you are incredibly smart and a good friend of mine and most of the people in this room. If you keep going the way you've been going, you could lose all of this. You can't work all of your life away."

"I do not work all of my life away. What makes you think I'm going to lose all my friends? I know I've been busy, but Ginny, aren't you being a little melodramatic about the entire thing?" Hermione argued. Ginny's words had stung.

"Hermione, you collapsed last night. I saw you, we all did. I know you've been killing yourself for The Order, the Circle, prefect duties, and your complete over kill on all your classes. In that, when was the last time you had fun with your friends? Spent time with Ron for one evening playing chess? Christmas?" Ginny argued.

"Ginny, what I'm working on is important," Hermione whispered. "It could make the difference with . . . well, with everything."

"Right, and when it is all over if no one is standing up with you to help you cheer, what did you do it all for? Is it worth losing Ron? Is it worth losing all of us? You're slipping. You keep slipping, you won't even get through your 'important' work."

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but echoes of third year came crashing back around her. The tension, the lack of sleep, no eating, disappearing to the library for large amounts of time, all of the signs were there. Hermione sighed and looked over to where Ron and Harry were laughing at Seamus' antics across the room. Everyone was happy and having fun, everyone, but herself.

Ginny looked Hermione over, "We're still friends, you and I, but you need to start trusting other people to help. Ron and Harry would do anything for you, for that matter, so would I, and any number of people in this room. If you can't trust the three of us to help, who can you? We aren't perfect, but we're a heck of a lot better than nothing."

Ginny walked away from Hermione at that point, leaving the brown haired girl alone with her thoughts. Hermione walked over and found a vacant couch where she sat down thinking about everything. She was tired. Hermione's eyes hurt, her feet heart, her shoulders were screaming from the tension, but none of it compared to the ache in her heart. Hermione curled her feet up under her and rested her head on the arm of the chair for a minute watching the people milling around the room, talking and laughing. Even Blaise and Daphne seemed to be enjoying themselves.

The music changed to another slow song, and the couples filtered to the floor, Ginny and Colin, Neville and Luna, Daphne and Seamus, Dean and Parvati, and the list continued to grow. Ron and Harry were off talking to themselves affording Hermione some peace to study the room. She caught sight of Ernie dancing with Lavendar off in a corner, looking rather intimate. Finally, Hermione watched Blaise offer his hand to Susan before her own eyes drifted closed. Hermione finally fell asleep.

Ron found her an hour later, amid all the racket of music. The party had been going strong for several hours and it had taken some time for Ron to realize that he didn't see Hermione in the crowd. He found her curled up on one of the couches, sleeping as if nothing else was going on in the room. Chuckling, he picked her up and carried her over to one corner of the room, less removed from the party, and placed her on another couch where he promptly cast a Silencing Charm. Confident that Hermione would sleep uninterrupted, he returned to join Harry, Daphne, Blaise and several other students in a lively discussion about who would win the Quidditch cup this year.

He had arrived just in time to hear Seamus state in his heavy Irish brogue, "There is no way that Ravenclaw Slytherin (we said earlier that Ravenclaw and Gryffindor were playing for the cup) is going to beat us. There has never been a better Seeker than Harry bloody Potter, and I don't care who knows it!" Harry, of course, had denied Seamus praise and shook off the compliment.

Ginny though, took it on her self to tease him about it unmercilessly, "Absolutely, there is no one, anywhere as great as him! Could I get an autograph, please?"

With Harry and Ginny suddenly distracted with their mock fighting the conversation lulled and everyone just stood there in companionable silence, laughing as Harry and Ginny bantered back and forth regarding payment for said authograph. This had only gone on a minute or two, when the door burst open and a couple of Slytherin firsties ran through.

"Blaise, it's started," one of them managed to spit out in between gasping for air.

"What happened?" Blaise snapped at the frightened Slytherins.

"They attacked a study group of fifth years, several of them are hurt pretty badly," the blond boy returned. Ron could smell the fear on the three and he noticed that they looked a little banged up.

"Caleb, are you OK?" Susan asked walking over and interrupting them.

The young Slytherin nodded once, his face reddening at the girls attention, he glanced from Blaise to Susan and back again, obviously uncomfortable. Ron didn't know whether to be surprised that Susan knew him or laugh because the kid obviously had a crush on her.

"Wait outside of the door for just a moment, and we'll be right out," Blaise instructed. The firsties nodded and left without a word.

"What do you need us to do?" Harry asked in a low voice.

Daphne looked at both Harry and Ron and sighed, "We don't need you two to do anything." Daphne paused for a moment and both Ron and Harry opened their mouths to retort, but she beat them to the punch, "I know, I know. You two want to help, but you can't this time. Just having Gryffindors down there would cause more trouble than you could help with."

The music was turned off and the little group realized that the entire room was listening quite intently to what was going on.

Luna and Neville walked over to the group, "I suppose it is a good thing that I brought my warm cloak? It's always so cold down in the dungeons."

Blaise blinked in surprise, but Daphne just smiled, "Just Luna this time, Neville."

"I think most everyone is here," Susan said looking around as many people began pulling their wands.

Filled with resolve at the response, Daphne smiled and turned to Blaise, "Let's get started."

Blaise nodded and walked out of the room with Susan and another ten witches and wizards behind him.

"See you later," Luna kissed Neville on the cheek and followed the crowd out.

Daphne turned to go as well, but a hand reached out and grabbed her arm at the last minute, "Good luck to you lass," Seamus whispered. "I expect to see you in the morning."

Daphne nodded with a slight smile and then turned back to join Blaise and the others. Soon the room was empty of anyone but Gryffindors and Harry looked at Ron and whispered, "So, what do we do now?"

Ron seemed to ponder this for a moment before replying, "We go get the Marauders map and follow what is happening that way."

Harry grinned, "That way we know if they need help."

Ron nodded and gathered Hermione up in his arms, inclining his head towards the door. The remaining Gryffindors and a few stragglers all left, everyone wondering what was going on a few floors below.

Everyone clambered back into the Common Room and stood around, "Come on Parvati, Ginny, let's get some sleep. We aren't going to find out anything until tomorrow anyway," Lavendar spoke up drawing the other two girls back up the stairs.

"Night Gin," Harry called after his girlfriend. He knew she didn't want to go, but Lavender didn't leave her with an option.

Ron carried Hermione upstairs and laid her on his bed. He covered her gently and kissed the top of her head before walking over to Harry as he whispered, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Both of them watched as the inky lines appeared on the page and very soon they were inspecting the dungeon area for any insight into how the battle was going. Ron's eyes quickly scanned the map and almost immediately he saw something that made his blood run cold in his veins. From the sharp intake of air to his right, Ron knew that Harry saw it as well.

Lucious Malfoy and Antonin Dolohov were in the Dungeons and on the move.

Ron's head snapped up and he saw his own anger reflected in Harry's eyes. Ron dropped the blanket and started for the door only to have Harry reach out and grab his arm, "What the hell are you doing, Ron?"

Ron looked at him puzzled and Harry explained, "We've got to make sure she's safe first,"

"Hermione will be fine here. No one will get passed the portrait door."

"Sirius did, remember?"

Both of the boy's faces clouded for a moment as they recalled their lost friend. Ron looked over to Hermione's sleeping form, his fists tightened with frustration as he realized they could not leave Hermione alone with Dolohov in the Castle.

Several minutes passed as each of them tried to come up with a solution to their dilemma. Ron felt like he was going to go mad when the dorm room door swung open and Neville, Seamus and the Creevey brothers walked. Ron jumped up and ran over to them. "Neville I need you four to stay here and guard Hermione while she sleeps,"

"Guard her from what Ron?" Neville questioned.

"There are a couple of Death Eaters in the Castle, and Antonin Dolohov is one of them. You remember him, I believe?"

Neville's eyes went hard and he nodded.

"Good, then I need you guys to stay here while Harry and I take care of some business."

Neville gave them both a grim smile, "We'll take care of it. I'll use the Sobering Charm on Seamus here. Do you want us to inform Dumbledore?"

"Yes," Harry interrupted while Ron shouted, "No"

Harry looked at Ron questioningly, "Why not, Ron?"

"Because Dumbledore will want to capture him."

Harry looked confused, so Ron spelled it out for him, "I intend to make sure Dolohov can't ever hurt Hermione again."

To his credit, Harry didn't even blink. Neville on the other hand looked like he might faint, "You mean your going to kill him? On purpose?"

"I won't have Hermione hurt by that maniac again, and I'm willing to do whatever I have to do," Ron growled.

Neville blinked rapidly and then nodded slowly, "Be careful you two and don't forget things are bound to be crazy with the Slytherins all fighting each other."

Harry's eyes widened at Neville's remark, "I'm willing to bet my broom that it's no coincidence that Death Eaters are in the Castle the night the fighting really got bad."

Harry and Ron started to move to the door when Neville's voice caused them to stop, "If you two see Luna..."

Harry and Ron both smiled and then turned serious again, "We'll make sure she's okay if we run into her Neville, we promise," Harry said soothingly.

Ron nodded, "Thanks for taking care of Hermione, mate,"

"Anytime," Neville replied simply.

Harry reached out one hand and tapped the map with his wand. "Mischief managed." The map folded it self up and flew into his hand.

Blaise, Daphne, Susan and Caleb walked at the head of the group that had left Ron's party whispering between them.

"Do you know where the fifth years are?" Blaise asked Caleb and the other first year, Conner, that had followed him.

"Yes," Caleb replied. "We can find them."

"We'll take three groups. Daphne, do what you can for damage control. I want you to stay to the east side. I'll take Conner with me and find the fifth years. Susan, are you OK with Caleb and taking the right? There will be other Slytherins down there that can help you. Watch for traps left in the halls. Try to keep things as tidy as you can. If we end up with the professors down here, I'd like to hide what we can."

"No problem," Susan replied.

"Susan, do you have a good idea of how to break up the groups? Split the better duelists between you and Daphne. I'll take one or two others with me, but no more," Blaise told her.

Susan nodded and fell back in with the others relaying the plan, "Is she going to be OK with this?" Blaise asked Daphne. "I haven't seen her fight before, but she hasn't backed down and the others listen to her."

Daphne chuckled, no one had any idea of what Susan Bones was capable of, including Susan Bones, "She'll be fine." Daphne replied.

"Find Gavin or Lenore if you can," Blaise whispered. "They'll have a better idea of what is going on."

Susan returned, "Cho and Ernie are going with you, they're the best of the lot. I divided the others between Daphne and myself."

"Good thinking," Daphne complimented the Hufflepuff's planning as the group stopped at the steps down in the dungeons.

Blaise and Daphne faced the others that had all ready grouped themselves off from Susan's direction. Blaise began, "There are a couple of rules. Do what you can to keep from destroying and damaging things and each other. There will be traps and tricks in the halls. Stay with the Slytherins in the group, they know how to manage the maze. Keep your eyes open for other students on both sides. Let's try to drive Malfoy and his group towards the Common Room, it's the most central location. We can handle it from there. Try not to engage them one on one and most importantly, stay with your group. No one wanders off by themselves, no matter what. Any questions?"

The group looked at Blaise and he saw the resolve in all of them, something moved him to continue in a very uncharacteristic maneuver, "Thank you."

Daphne looked at Blaise, impressed and surprised by his words. It had the right effect on the others though. People started smiling, it gave them the additional encouragement they needed and when was the last time ANYONE had heard a Slytherin say something so . . . well, so nice to another?

The groups divided themselves up, Ernie and Cho walked over to Blaise, "Susan said you need us to go with you," Cho smiled up at the Slytherin.

Blaise looked over to where Susan stood talking to Caleb. He noticed Luna was in Daphne's group and Susan had left herself entirely with fifth years. "Excuse me one minute," Blaise told Cho walking over to the tall girl.

Daphne watched as Blaise took Susan by the arm and pulled her away from her group. A smile crossed her face as she turned towards her group, "Let's go."

Meanwhile Blaise whispered to Susan, "You sent all of the sixth years with Daphne, don't you think you should have split the groups more evenly?"

"No, we'll be fine," Susan replied looking up to Blaise, "The groups are split evenly."

Blaise paused, he wanted to tell her to be careful, he wanted to go with her, and he really wanted to hold her. Instead he settled for looking down at her, his hand on her shoulder, "Merlin Susan, just be careful. I . . ." and nothing else came out.

Susan smiled at Blaise and seemed to understand what he wanted to say and couldn't, "You too." He watched her return to her group and led them down into the dungeon with Caleb at her side, whispering directions.

Conner, Cho and Ernie waited for him. Each of them looked at him with too much interest and it made him uncomfortable. "Conner, I want you to show me on this map where you saw them last. We're taking the short cut."

Blaise led his group through the passage ways towards the area where Conner had indicated the fifth years were being held. The silence, that typically Blaise enjoyed, seemed to bother Ernie that followed close on his heels.

"So, how do you know Susan?" Ernie whispered to Blaise in the darkness.

"I don't," Blaise snapped. "We're acquaintances."

"That's not what it looked like to me," Ernie replied smugly.

Blaise turned around and raised his wand, "Lumos!" The glow from his wand illuminated Ernie's startled expression and the curiosity of the other two.

"Do you have something to say to me?" Blaise growled.

"Nah," Ernie replied casually. "I haven't seen a Slytherin go out of their way for anyone, without expecting something in return. From what I've heard, you've done it at least once for her. Not to mention that little show of concern back there. I just thought Slytherins didn't want to lower themselves by being around people like us."

Blaise looked at Ernie and then to Cho, "So why are you here then?" he asked his eyes narrowing.

"Susan asked me to. Hell, I'd date her, if I thought I had a shot. Unfortunately, she makes that I know that we are just friends."

"And you?" Blaise asked holding his wand higher so the light touched Cho's face.

"If Susan says we've been wrong about you, then I believe her," Cho replied. "Besides, Daphne can be fun when she wants to be."

Blaise paused and looked down at Conner, the first year watching all of the proceedings with amazement, "We need to keep going."

Blaise muttered, "Nox," and the hall went dark once more. As they got closer to where Conner had indicated, sounds of whispered voice began to penetrate their hiding spot. Blaise stopped before one of the hidden doors and listened to the sound of movement and voices behind.

"Listen, all you have to do is stay out of things and we'll give you your wands back. I know that arrogant Zabini and Greengrass have been filling your heads with nonsense about cooperating with the other Houses. When was the last time a Gryffindor gave a damn about any Slytherin? Don't expect to see Potter, Granger or Weasley running to help you when the war comes. You may not like it, but we are all that we can rely on," Pansy Parkinson's voice broke as it filled the corridor.

"That's where you're wrong," a male voice Blaise couldn't recognize replied. "The entire school hates us and all because you idiots can't leave the second years alone. I'm tired of having the rest of the school jump when I walk by because Draco Malfoy wants to feel important."

Blaise had heard enough, "OK, they are right behind this wall. Cho, Conner, I want you to stand here and be ready. I'm going to pull their attention. You have to assume Pansy has at least 5 or 6 people with her. Just be ready and use this hallway for protection. Ernie, I want you to come with me. There's another entrance further on that will you allow to sneak up behind them."

"We'll be ready," Cho replied as Ernie and Blaise walked past her.

Blaise left Ernie a short distance away from the group, "Give me a couple minutes before you start heading towards them. They will have people watching the hallway, so wait until I distract them before joining the fun."

"No problem," Ernie replied.

Blaise left him then and ran through the corridors to enter the Hall opposite of Ernie. Pansy's argument continued and kept increasing in volume, helping to mask the sound of his footsteps.

Blaise entered the hall opposite Ernie with his wand drawn and visible, the only concession he would make to his own nervousness. He walked towards the light where he saw Pansy and Millicent, Jeffery and William two seventh years, and a fourth year Blaise couldn't remember his name gathered around the four fifth years seated on the floor. William held their wands, but nothing seemed wrong, but bruises and scratches.

"Lord Zabini, we've been expecting you!" Pansy laughed as Blaise stepped into the light.

"Where are your friends? That doesn't seem like you to be walking about the dungeons without your subjects," Millicent sneered.

"I have no subjects. I have no need to be surrounded by others," Blaise replied. "Besides, I have come across my housemates. Why should I expect problems with them?" the sarcasm dripped from every word.

"Because you have forgotten what it means to be a Slytherin," William growled turning towards him. "You, in your arrogance, think you know what is best for our House. Who designated you to dictate our future?"

"I am not dictating our future. I am disagreeing with the thought that it is permissible to attack fellow house members. What has come of our House when we allow that to happen? I ask you again, what problems should I expect?" Blaise all but growled raising his wand. "Those members of our House are coming with me. You are welcome to do the same."

"Funny, I don't think even the great Blaise Zabini can take all five of us," Pansy accused, but it was Millicent that broke the peace.

"Expelliarmus!" Millicent cried missing Blaise as he side-stepped the curse.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Blaise cried hitting William in the chest. The Slytherin hit the floor, the wands clutched in his hand.

"Expelliarmus!" Cho's voice filled the hall knocking Pansy's wand from her hand. The remaining Slytherins took flight back towards where Ernie stood in the Hall. A scuffle broke out and Ernie hit the floor as the group of them ran past.

Cho followed the group to the end of the corridor hurling spells as she ran.

Blaise took the wands from William's hard grip and distributed them to the fifth years.

"Report," Blaise told them offering Janet and Clarice a hand to their feet.

"They caught us in the hall. Clarice sprained her ankle and Charles right arm is useless, nothing serious," Maxim told Blaise as Clarice, his girlfriend, leaned on him for support.

Ernie returned to the group, "Blaise, I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting them to rush me."

"They are heading the right direction," Blaise replied. "Conner, you, Clarice and Charles take William back to the Common Room. Janet and Maxim, I want you to come with us."

Ernie, Janet and Maxim followed him to catch up with Cho, "Where did they go?"

"They went down this hall and then turned left," Cho told Blaise as they approached.

"Good, now it's five on three," Blaise told her handing Cho Pansy's fallen wand. "This is yours."

"Thanks," Cho told him taking the wand. "I hope it's that easy for everyone else."

"Cho, take Maxim and keep following them. Ernie, Janet and I will make sure they don't take any turns we don't want them to," Blaise replied. "Let's go."

"Merlin Ron, duck down or our feet will be exposed," Harry whispered as they walked through the halls under the significantly smaller invisibility cloak.

"I can't help it that this thing has shrunk," Ron growled back stooping down lower.

Harry looked at the map, "They are still down in the dungeons. It looks like Blaise, Cho and Ernie are following Pansy and a couple other Slytherins back towards the Slytherin Common Room. Daphne and Luna are in a group over on the east side of the dungeons."

"What about Susan and Draco? Any sign of them?" Ron whispered as they walked down the stairs into the dungeons.

"They are on the west side, but not any where close to each other," Harry replied. Harry took the first left hand turn and continued, "I'm thinking we follow them for a bit and try to figure out what they are after."

Ron growled low in his throat, "I'd rather not."

"You'll still get your chance at him," Harry assured him as they continued through the halls.

Ron saw first hand the damage in the halls that Neville had spoke of. Debris littering the halls, burn marks on the walls, and many other subtle signs that wizards had been attacking one another for a number of days was evident as Harry led them through the maze towards the Deatheaters.

Finally, they found them. The pair seemed to know precisely where they were going as they navigated twisting hallways heading away from the Slytherin Common Room.

"Snape told us it was in the southwest corner of the dungeons," Antonin growled. "How much further can it possibly be?"

"Patience," Lucious Malfoy drawled, "my son has the entire House distracted. No one knows we are here and by the time we get it and leave, no one will be the wiser until it is too late."

Ron started to whisper something to Harry only to feel Harry whip off the Invisibility cloak and shout "Stupefy!" as he pointed his wand at Lucious Malfoy, so much for following them.

Ron jumped to the side and pulled out his wand as a curse he didn't recognize just missed him and left a scorch mark along the wall.

_Bloody hell that curse came from Dolohov! That rotten bastard is pretty fast._

Harry had moved to his left and was concentrating on Malfoy. That was just fine with Ron, as it left Dolohov to him.

"So blood traitor, where is your pretty little mudblood? I hate to leave things unfinished," Dolohov taunted as he blocked Ron's curse and ducked behind a statue.

"Diffindo!" Ron yelled as he pointed his wand at the spot he thought Dolohov would be moving into. To Ron's surprise, Dolohov had stopped behind the statue and then rolled out the way of the curse.

Dolohov came up on one knee and sneered, "Stupefy." The spell caught Ron flat-footed and it threw him up against the wall hard.

"Gotten kind of cocky haven't you, _boy?"_ the Death Eater taunted as he regained his feet.

Ron got up shakily and gripped his wand, "Well, I reckon I have _killed _enough of your kind to merit it."

Ron smiled grimly in satisfaction when Dolohov's face darkened with rage, "You've been lucky enough so far _boy,_ but it's going to run out soon I imagine,"

Over on the other side of the room, Harry gasped and Ron looked up to see a huge bruise forming on the side of his head. Ron took a step towards him when he heard Dolohov saying, "Avada Kedavra."

Ron fell flat on the floor and winced as the green light flashed by him only inches from his face.

Millicent Bulstrode turned over her wand at the door of the Common Room, the last of the group that Blaise had been chasing for the past half an hour. They were the first to enter the Common Room that night. Pansy and the others took a seat on two couches by the main fire place. Ernie and Maxim stood guard over the other group. Cho stood by Blaise near the door.

"Now what?" Cho asked the dark haired Slytherin where he stood glaring at one of the large portraits hung on the wall.

Blaise didn't answer, but stood staring at the dark haired wizard, dressed in green, portrayed in the painting.

"Blaise?" Cho asked again, the younger man's face was cold and fierce.

Blaise turned to Cho, "Check them for injuries. Do what you can."

Cho left Blaise and did what she could for the others. Most of them had only received bruises, scrapes or scratches. No one was injured enough that they needed to be sent to the infirmary.

They sat quiet for a time, no one moved, and everyone seemed to be waiting. Ernie was the first to break the silence.

"Blaise, what are we doing? It's late and sleep is sounding better and better," Ernie spoke up.

Blaise turned from the large portrait and ignored Ernie's question looking directly towards the door as it swung open and Gavin stepped into the room followed by ten more Slytherins, none with wands and more than a few limping. Daphne's group followed and last Luna and Daphne entered the room.

"Keep them all together," Daphne told Gavin as Pansy assessed her friends. The great room was filling quickly.

Nott limped over to sit by Pansy and Millicent on the sofas. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and at least half of his supporters were still missing.

"How long were you waiting?" Daphne asked Blaise walking over to him.

"Thirty minutes, no longer," Blaise returned. "Did you have any problems?"

"No, just isolating them all and disarming them took more time than I had expected," Daphne replied.

"We need to find Malfoy," Blaise told Daphne, voicing both of their concerns.

Daphne looked over to Pansy and Nott, she watched as Gavin grouped them all together and saw to everyone's injuries.

Daphne and Blaise approached the group and Pansy rose to her feet, her face sad as she looked at the injured that had come back. One of the third years was crying as Gavin cleaned a deep cut on the kid's arm that dripped dark blood onto the floor. Pansy frowned at the sight and winced as his sniffles and muffled groans filled the Common Room.

"Perhaps you are correct," Pansy spoke as silence fell over the room once more. "This is what has come of the Slytherin House?" she gestured towards the third year as his tears continued to fall. Gavin worked quickly, bandaging the wound, and moved onto the next.

Daphne frowned, "This is what you have made of it"

Pansy shook her head, "No, this is what we have made of it."

"Do you know where Malfoy is?" Blaise growled.

"Women, Blaise, women are the cruelest of creatures," Pansy answered. "Malfoy is only a part of your problem."

"Pansy don't," Millicent interrupted.

"No Millie, this ends tonight. There is no glory for a house divided. Look at that, we did that Milli," Pansy said, but more towards the others gathered around the couches where Gavin watched them. Everyone looked over to the third year that Daphne had brought back with a broken leg sitting on one of the nearby tables. "This wasn't supposed to happen this way. I always thought that I had to keep our House pure. I was told we needed to be strong and believe in our cause, but here we are losing badly to the very people we are supposed to be better than. We called Weasley a blood traitor, but at least that idiot doesn't go around injuring members of his own House. I won't do it anymore. I'm tired of people thinking I'm some sort of monster."

Pansy paused and looked back towards Blaise and Daphne, "Blaise, Lenore is helping Draco. Bones is walking into a trap they had set for you."

"Where are they?"

"I'm not sure, but in the eastern portion of the dungeon. They wanted to catch one of you, but Bones is on Draco's list and he won't be kind when he catches her instead," Pansy told him.

Blaise blinked and looked to Daphne, "How many can we spare?"

"I'll help tend to the injured, Blaise," Pansy said softly. "If you can help it, don't hurt Draco, please. Once he was kind to me and I loved him for it."

Blaise looked at Pansy sharply, "I'm sorry. I won't promise you that."

Ten minutes later, Blaise and Daphne left with ten witches and wizards from the Common Room in search of Susan and her group of fifth years and the six Slytherins that had followed Lenore on patrol.

Gavin remained behind on guard with most of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs that had come to help. Only Luna and Cho followed Blaise and Daphne as they worked their way through the dungeons.

Dolohov had been right, they were too damn cocky. Peter Pettigrew had surprised Harry from behind and knocked him out cold. Now Ron was desperately trying to keep the three Death Eaters distracted enough by fighting to prevent them from killing Harry who lay motionless on the floor. Ron dove next to Harry's form and grabbed a hold of his foot, intending to drag him to safety. Ron fought to keep the others back wishing that Val or Susan were around to cast a shield long enough for him to get clear. Ron's shirt had long since started to stick to his chest and his body ached with the strain of dodging so many spells, but he still clung to Harry's foot and dragged him back down the hall.

Desperate to get out of his predicament, he briefly considered changing form, but he had been certain that he would have been killed while he was changing.

It was that bastard Pettigrew that turned the tide in favor of the Death Eaters. It had been him that had hit Harry with the cutting curse at point blank range after changing from his Animagus form. Now Harry's blood darkened the stones and Ron continued to pull him away from the others.

Even as he shouted another curse at Dolohov, Ron felt despair clouding his mind and he was beginning to think for the first time that they might actually lose the fight with Voldemort. Shaking the weariness from his mind, he turned to dodge another volley of spells and started to prepare himself for death.

Blaise led them through the dungeons in silence. It didn't take very long before they ran into the first group, two of Susan's fifth years aiding a limping Slytherin met them in corridor as they wound their way back towards the Common Room. The trio had drawn their wands, but when they recognized the group coming towards them, they relaxed.

"What happened?" Daphne asked as the trio approached.

"We got caught in the crossfire. Susan sent us back to get help for Jerod," one of the Hufflepuffs explained.

"Where is everyone else?" Luna asked coming to the front.

"We ran into Lenore's group and then Slytherins started coming at us out of thin air. Susan and Lenore tried holding the group together and head back towards the Common Room. A lucky shot put me into the wall and sprained my ankle. Susan sent these two back with me to find you. They should be following us," Jerod finished.

"We're going to keep going. Gavin will meet you back at the Common Room," Daphne told them and Blaise walked down the hall.

As the group progressed, they started to see signs of spell damage on the walls, but no more people. Then they reached the first oddity, an amber shield blocked one of the side passages. Blaise stopped before it and looked to Daphne, "Who did this?"

"Susan is the only one I know of that casts amber shields," Daphne replied.

Blaise looked at her, and eyebrow raised in surprise, "There aren't many wizards that can cast shield spells like this."

"I know, but she can," Daphne replied. "We need to keep going."

They passed three more blocked corridors before coming to a hole blasted in the wall.

Two more stragglers crawled out of the hole in the wall. This time, they were Malfoy supporters, "Don't hurt us!" a third year girl called. She struggled to help a fourth year with a large cut along his scalp that was bleeding profusely.

"We'll take your wands and then we will escort you back to the Common Room. There won't be any more fighting tonight," Daphne explained taking their wands and helping the fourth year climb through the hole.

"How long have you been here?" Cho asked noticing the bloody scarf wrapped around the Slytherins head.

"An hour, maybe longer. I couldn't move him very far and we weren't sure where we could go that we wouldn't be attacked," the third year explained. The girl was pale and exhausted.

"Did you see anyone else?" Luna asked the girl.

"No, no one has come by since we've been hiding," the girl replied.

"Maxim, escort these two back to the Common Room. Be sure that they are tended to," Daphne ordered.

Down to nine, the group continued on further into the dungeons. Four more times they met groups of two or three, mostly Slytherins and a few of Susan's group, either hiding or making their way back through the maze towards the Common Room. Not one of them was uninjured. Either bruises and cuts from flying rock, a twisted knee or ankle, a jarred shoulder. No one had escaped unscathed.

It also seemed that no one had a firm idea of what happened. All Blaise and Daphne had managed to learn was that Susan's group had found Lenore's patrol before Malfoy and his goons attacked. Outnumbered, they began retreating back towards the Common Room. As people were wounded, Susan would send them back towards the Common Room, holding off the attacks as long as she could with the people that remained.

The students were all shaken by what had gone on. Everything had become real to them tonight and never had they seen or heard of the like. Most of the Slytherins seemed stunned. They came across Malfoy's supporters as well as their own people, all looked defeated. Blaise took the wands of Malfoy's crew, but otherwise everyone was treated with the same attention and care. Most of those Slytherins that had been supporting Malfoy reconsidered that night, many even went so far as to imply an apology or admittance that Blaise and Daphne had been correct. Blaise and Daphne had won the battle, but the cost was much higher than they had anticipated.

Daphne sent the fifth group back to the Common Room leaving only Cho, Luna, Daphne and Blaise looking for stragglers. This last group had known much more.

"We came across Bones and her group almost two hours ago. Bones told us your plan," the seventh year, Trenton, began. He had been carrying two third years back to the Common Room when Blaise had come across him.

"Lenore had told us she thought she knew where Malfoy was hiding at and Susan agreed to follow her back into the dungeons. It took us twenty minutes to arrive where Lenore thought Malfoy would be. Well, she was right, he was there, but she had led us into a trap.

"We were standing in a large opening in the hall where four corridors intersected. That's where Malfoy waited. He had a group following us and people stationed in each of the passages. It was brilliant and Lenore led us right into it.

Trenton stopped and rubbed his neck in frustration, "Then what?" Cho asked. "How did you get out of there?"

_They bunched together in the center, all silent, waiting for something to happen. Susan knew they were trapped, and something felt too planned and too easy about their capture to make her believe it was an accident._

_Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle stepped to the front of one of the passages across from where Susan stood surrounded by the fifth years she had asked to accompany her. Susan felt her guilt grow. She had asked them to join her helping the Slytherins. It was her fault and her responsibility to make sure that she got them out of here safe. Susan was gratified that even the Slytherins formed a defensive Circle facing their attackers. No one said a word, and no one backed down._

_Susan crossed to where Lenore stood in front of Malfoy. _

"_Bones, what brings you down to the dungeons at this time of night? Looking for Zabini for a quick shag? Aren't the Gryffindors enough for you any more?" Malfoy sneered._

"_I'm here to do what I said I would," Susan replied coolly ignoring Malfoy's comments._

"_You know Bones, it is time for you Hufflepuffs to remember your place. I warned you about what happens to people who can't leave well enough alone," Malfoy continued._

"_You mean, people that threaten their fellow housemates into agreeing with them? That's the difference between you and I, Malfoy. My friends are here because they agree with me and want to help. Your followers are here because they are more afraid of you than they are of me. In the end, it is that difference that will make you the loser."_

"_Very well you've made your point quite clear," Malfoy growled. "Get them."_

_Susan was quicker, she cast a shield over her group, blocking all of the passages. No one's spell penetrated the amber glow._

_Susan gathered her group to her, "New plan, we make for the Common Room. You older students help the younger. Slytherins to the front, those of you better at defense with me. We need to find help."_

"_You there, what is your name?"Susan asked one of the third or fourth year Slytherins._

"_Jerod," the boy replied haughtily reminding Susan of Blaise._

"_Do you know how to get back to the Common Room from here?" Susan asked him._

_Jerod pinned her with a glare, "Of course."_

"_Fine, you're in the lead. Everyone below fifth year follow him. Everyone else stays with me. We need to do what we can to hold them off. The shield won't hold forever. Which passage do we take?" Susan asked looking around._

"_That one," Jerod pointed towards to the left of where they entered._

"_Good, you can walk through this shield to leave, but not to enter. Trenton, you and I are going out first to clear the passage. Then, Jerod give us a count of five before following with your group. Lenore, you take the rest and hold off any one that breaks through the shields. After Jerod and his lot are through, you follow and we head for the Common Room."_

_Everyone nodded in agreement, Susan looked down at Jerod again, "Don't get too far ahead of us or we may lose you," she warned before walking over to the passage Jerod had indicated._

_Susan looked over at the huge seventh year she recognized from the Slytherin Quiddich team. He stared at her blankly for a moment. _

"_Is there a problem I need to know about?" Susan asked when Trenton didn't move to join her. The spells from Malfoy and his group increased in fury and Susan knew they were running out of time._

"_No, I just . . . I never knew," Trenton spoke up as he joined her._

"_Never knew what?" Susan asked._

_Susan didn't learn the answer as Trenton passed through the shield. Susan followed him and started casting spells as she pushed through._

_Trenton was not a "point and shoot" type of fighter Susan learned. He walked through the shield and struck the first Slytherin he came across. Between the two of them, they made quick work of the first two Slytherins they came across and the others decide to run, rather than face them._

_Jerod and four others follwed through the shield, Caleb in the mix. Finally, as the shield began to collapse, Lenore, Susan's fifth years, and two other Slytherins came through the shield. _

"_Two of you to the front, most of them ran. We'll be right behind you!" Susan hissed to the group as they started blocking the spells that won through the now clear passage behind._

"What didn't you know?" Luna asked the hulking Slytherin as he paused in the tale.

"She was incredible. Merlin, I'd never thought that a girl, let alone a Hufflepuff could do what she did," Trenton shook his head. "She's one of the best duelists I've seen. They couldn't touch her."

Daphne looked to Luna and Cho and the three of them smiled. After their experiences at the Circle, Susan Bones wasn't as big a surprise to some of her friends.

Blaise though seemed surprised by Trenton's support as he looked to Daphne to confirm it. Daphne just shrugged, "She's good."

"Keep going," Blaise ignored the girls and focussed once again on Trenton.

"Well, we made our way back towards the Common Room. Some of Malfoy's goons followed us and most of the others tried to block our path or come at us from the sides. We ended up with Susan in the lead, Lenore to the left, I stayed behind, and a couple of those fifth years that came with Susan on the right. Everyone else stayed between us. It was ugly. There's no place to hide in those passageways and packed in like we were, it was hard even to dodge out of the way. As people were getting hit, Susan would clear a path and she would send them out in groups of two or three. Malfoy's gang ignored the injured, but we made sure we gave them something to concentrate on," Trenton continued.

"I don't think I understand," Cho frowned.

"_Susan, we need you up here!" Caleb's voice broke Susan's concentration as she parried another spell._

"_Trenton, can you cover for me?" Susan asked the large Slytherin at her side._

"_Go," he growled. "Those bastards are mine."_

_Susan dodged her way to the front of the group. There, Malfoy and six others had pinned Jerod and the others down and the group was trapped. Jerod was sitting on the ground with Janice, a fifth year Hufflepuff, at his side. _

_Susan began casting spells at Malfoy trying to puzzle out what to do. She knew someone had to get to Blaise and send help, nor could they afford to hole up in the hallway. This is was not an easily defensible position. Susan thought back to her training with Moody and made her decision._

_Susan knelt next to Jerod and looked at his ankle, "It's sprained, it may be broken."_

_Jerod looked at her and winced, "Leave me, you can't defend this position all night."_

_Susan nodded towards Janice, "I'm going to cast a shield over you, Janice, and Dana. You can't get far on that leg and someone has to go for help."_

"_Your last shield didn't last very long," Jerod argued. _

"_Look, I'm leaving the three of you behind. This shield will last. The more they hit it with magic, the stronger it will become. We'll keep moving and drawing their attention. Hopefully they will ignore you and once you're alone, make your way back to the Common Room and send help. We will draw them away from there."_

"_You can't afford to leave two people with me," Jerod argued._

"_I'm not leaving you by yourself. Find Blaise, Jerod. Tell him I need him," Susan snapped at the younger Slytherin._

"_You're making a mistake. You need to keep everyone you can to fight," Jerod tried once more._

"_You stubborn Slytherins. You can't do everything by yourself. Find Blaise and that's the end of it," Susan finished blocking a spell that was headed towards them._

"_Janice, Dana, stay with Jerod and find help," Susan told them. Susan stepped back and concentrated, the stronger the shield, the more energy it took from her. A second, small amber shield covered the three of them._

"_I'm sorry I can't do more," Susan told the three._

_Susan turned and found Caleb nearby, "Caleb, how deep are we in the dungeons? How far is it to the stairs out of here?"_

_Caleb frowned, "We're pretty far from there,"_

"_Are we closer to the Common Room or the Stairs?" Susan asked blocking another set of spells._

"_Stairs, but just barely," Caleb answered._

"_Which way?" Susan responded ducking out of the way of another blast that rained bits to stone and dust down on them._

"_Through there," Caleb replied pointing towards Lenore's position._

"_Let's make a break for it!" Susan called running to Lenore's side. Once again they burst through the hall past the waiting Slytherins._

_Susan waited down the hall. No one followed in pursuit. She could hear Malfoy continue to blast spells against the shield she had placed around Jerod. Susan called back to Malfoy, she needed to keep his attention, "Malfoy you wanker! You never could stand up to a fight!"_

"_Run Bones! Run, but I will find you and those fools that are following you!" Malfoy called back. _

"We continued on the move for the next twenty or thirty minutes. By then only a few of us were in good enough condition to keep going. Susan decided to break up the group. She left me with the wounded. Only Caleb, Lenore and Susan could keep pushing forward. We parted closer to the stairs. Susan was right, Malfoy wasn't interested in the rest of us."

"Do you have any idea where they are now?" Daphne asked looking towards Trenton.

"No, it wasn't that long ago though. They can't have made it that far," Trenton replied.

"Trenton, was Susan tired when you parted? Did you notice if she was pale or showing any other signs of fatigue?" Daphne continued.

"Yes, I suppose she was, but we all were," Trenton replied with a quizzical expression.

"Let's keep going," Blaise snapped. "Trenton, everyone is gathering back at the Common Room. We will meet you there."

Blaise pushed forward with Daphne at his heels. "Blaise, those shield spells. They take a lot out of a person."

"What do you mean?" Blaise asked taking a left and pushing towards the stairs out of the dungeons.

"I mean, those shields. There are reasons why so few wizards and witches can do them. The number of spells she's cast tonight, we need to find her."

The four passed another hallway, and this time it was Cho that stopped, "Here, there's something down there."

"Lumos," four lighted wands filled the dead end of the hall with light. There in the corner Caleb sat with tears streaked down his face and Susan's head rested on his lap.

"Susan," Blaise spoke first picking his way through the rubble in the hall to reach the pair. Daphne was right behind him looking over Caleb. The young Slytherin had a large welt on his forehead and his right arm hung limply at his side.

Blaise turned the Hufflepuff over and gathered her into his arms, "Damn it! I told you not to go off alone."

Luna handed Blaise her cloak, "Wrap it around her. She needs to stay warm."

Cho looked around the damage at the end of the hall. One large blast hole had shattered rock over the floor.

"Caleb, we need to get you back to the Common Room. Can you walk?" she asked surprisingly gentle with the first year.

"Yes, I couldn't leave her. She wouldn't know how to get back to the Common Room," Caleb answered without focusing on any of them.

Blaise gathered Susan's unconscious body in the cloak and struggled to his feet, picking his way through the rubble and back to the passage. Daphne and Luna led Caleb between them back to the hallway. The story just spilled out of the kid, no one said a word as he spoke. He walked next to where Blaise carried Susan, his good hand on her foot.

"It was horrible," Caleb gritted out. "We ran and ran and ran. No matter where we went, they were waiting. Malfoy's laughter chased our footsteps until I thought my heart would burst and my lungs were on fire. Lenore lagged behind and Susan, she drove us on, sure if we could make the stairs we would be fine.

"Susan was tiring, those shields she could do were weakening. Finally, it seemed like we had broken free when I was hit from behind. Susan hit the ground a second later. I landed on my arm. Susan, she got back to her feet, but her face was horrible. She was white and her eyes had dark circles under them. She had her wand in her fist and pointed it towards Lenore, 'You!'

"Lenore laughed, 'That's right. Me. I'm not about to apologize to some self-obsessed Hufflepuff! You can forget it!'

"Susan disarmed her and Lenore went running. She dropped to her knees next to me begging me to get up. I couldn't find the strength," Caleb choked out.

"She must have stunned you," Luna said quietly. "You couldn't have been able to stand if you wanted to."

"She picked me up. That girl hoisted me on her shoulders and kept walking. We didn't make it far. She stumbled once and then a second time before Malfoy found us. She dragged me back into that hallway and tried to cast her last shield. It failed.

"Malfoy, Lenore, Crabbe and Goyle walked into the passage and blocked our exit. Susan couldn't even stand up straight, she stood there leaning against the wall with her wand held in front of her."

"_You've lost Hufflepuff," Malfoy jeered at the exhausted girl before him. "Oh, you gave us a good chase, but you still lost."_

"_That is a matter of perspective," Susan returned._

"_Funny, there are just you against the four of us. I believe that puts the odds in my favor," Malfoy returned._

"_It would take four of you to best me. You haven't the fortitude to do it yourself," Susan growled. "You're pathetic Malfoy."_

_Malfoy's face grew red with rage, but it was Lenore that blasted the wall behind her. _

"The blast knocked Susan to the ground and she didn't open her eyes again. They left her here hoping you would find her. Malfoy said it would be a good lesson for you," Caleb finished.

"She's just exhausted herself," Daphne explained to Blaise. "She'll be fine."

Blaise's anger and guilt annoyed him as he carried her back to the Common Room. They stayed silent until they entered the Common Room as the clock tolled 4:30 in the morning.

Malfoy's supporters were grouped around the couches with the remainder tending wounds. Blaise counted five that needed to be taken to the Infirmary. Most everyone was affected by the night's activities.

"Blaise, Daphne," Pansy greeted them as they entered the room.

Gavin met Blaise and offered to take Susan from him, but Blaise felt he owed it to the girl to stay with her until she woke. He laid her down on an empty couch before turning back to the rest of them. Caleb stayed at her side.

"Do you have something to say?" Daphne asked Pansy looking around the room.

"We want to call a truce," Pansy began again. "This isn't right and we can't continue this way."

Blaise frowned down at the whiny girl, but remained silent. Daphne looked from her to the other Slytherins, carefully gauging what they were thinking. She had never seen so many of her House brought so low.

"Give them back their wands. I think we all learned something this evening," Blaise made the decision for them all. "Our fight is personal now. There will be no more separation. Any Slytherin found attacking another will be punished, swifty, severely and then turned over to the Headmaster."

"Luna, Gavin, gather everyone that needs to go to the Infirmary," Daphne continued. "I'm afraid none of us will get any sleep tonight. All hell is going to break loose when Madame Pince sees six students turn up in the Infirmary. Everyone needs to do what they can to repair the damage down here. We won't be able to hide this anymore. The most we can do is minimize the effects. For those of you from other houses, return to your Common Rooms. I'd rather you not be punished for this night's activities."

Blaise walked back to the couch and lifted Susan's form once more. Caleb rose to follow. He turned towards Daphne who smiled at him, "Go, we'll take care of this."

The suit of armor Ron ducked behind shattered with a crack and bits of metal flew through the air. As Ron rolled out of the cloud of dust that was kicked up around him, he heard both Malfoy and Dolohov laughing.

_Smarmy bastards!_

Coming up on his uninjured knee, he spit out the word "Diffindo!" and slashed his arm down savagely. The air around Dolohov erupted in blood and he heard the Death Eater scream and it was music to his ears.

His delight soon vanished with a slowly drawled whisper of "Crucio" from Lucious Malfoy's mouth. The pain was unbearable and it reached every nerve and fiber of his being. As he twitched on the ground, all he could think of was a faint hope that death would end the horrible pain.

Somewhere in the back of Ron's mind where instinct still dwelt, less affected by the curse than reason, something snapped and he involuntarily changed shape. The change broke the spell for just a moment and it allowed him the chance to gather his feet under him and leap.

The force of his leap carried him across the corridor and he smashed into Wormtail slamming the Death Eater hard into the stone floor. Turning quickly he sank his teeth into the traitorous rat and shook his head from side to side barely recognizing the piercing scream as human.

Lucious Malfoy's voice cut through the fog of pain and anger clouding Ron's mind as he hit Ron with a curse he had never heard of, but would never forget. He felt himself sinking further and into an animal state and he recoiled when he noticed that Wormtail smelled like food.

He could barely make himself focus on his surroundings when a clear voice lifted itself above his haze with a simple, "Stupefy".

As he collected his wits about him, he noticed that Neville, Dean, Seamus and Hermione had forced the Death Eaters to flee. The smell of blood was everywhere and Ron's primal nature responded to it with a roar.

Hermione slowly walked up to Ron as he paced back and forth swishing his tail behind him. "Ron, I need you to come back to me. I need to make sure you are okay. You have to tell me where Harry is."

With the mention of Harry, Ron snapped back into focus and changed back to his normal human form. With a slight gesture he ran over to where Harry had fallen during the fighting. Hermione knelt beside Harry and then let out a sigh of relief only to gasp in shock.

Ron's eyes followed Hermione's to find an arm clutching a wand lying on the floor a couple of paces from where Harry was laying.

Gavin, Luna, Cho, and Maxim helped the wounded to the Infirmary, following Blaise carrying the still unconscious Susan. At the early hour, no one was in the Infirmary and Cho had to go find the school's nurse.

Blaise laid Susan on one of the nearby beds, his exhaustion overwhelming him. Susan's pale face worried him, but as she began to shiver he didn't know what to do.

"She needs to keep warm," Luna spoke up. "Hold her while I get some extra blankets. Her body doesn't have enough strength to keep it from falling back into shock."

Blaise sat down gingerly beside her and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around Susan's shaking body. Luna wrapped blankets over the two of them. Even in this state, Blaise could smell the scent of flowers and cinnamon that he had begun to associate with her.

Susan's shaking continued as Madame Pomfrey entered the room, "What is going on here?"

Professor Snape and Dumbledore entered the room on her heels; neither of the two Professors looked like they had seen their bed that night.

"Madame Pomfrey, we have a couple of broken bones, a sprained ankle, and Susan Bones isn't well," Cho told her gesturing around the room.

"Mr. Zabini, please lay her back on the bed," Madame Pomfrey spoke moving the blankets. Susan's shaking grew worse. "If you gentlemen will excuse me," she said closing the screen around Susan's bed as she inspected the girl.

"Miss Lovegood, would you be so kind as to fetch Professor Sprout, I believe she will want to see her student," Professor Dumbledore directed.

Blaise waited, knowing the questions would come. Professor Dumbledore looked around the room and then back to Blaise, "Lord Zabini, I suppose you have an explanation for all of this?"

Professor Snape answered for him, "I believe there was a difference of opinion in the Slytherin House. I trust it has been addressed?"

Blaise nodded, "Yes, but for a few people that cling to their opinions, the differences have been corrected."

Madame Pomfrey stepped out of the curtain, "Miss Bones didn't have any serious injuries, but I don't understand. Her body seems to have gone into shock."

Professor Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, Miss Bones used too much of her own energy tonight. I suppose she was trying to teach you a shield spell and cast one too many herself?" Professor Dumbledore asked Blaise. Blaise nodded, and Dumbledore turned back to the nurse, "Keep her warm Poppy; she will require a lot of rest."

Blaise kept his expression neutral, but he couldn't believe his ears. Professor Snape covered for them and Professor Dumbledore had pretended like nothing had happened. His luck couldn't continue to hold.

"I would suggest those of you without serious ailments should return to your Common Rooms for the remainder of the night," Professor Snape spoke to the others.

Blaise turned to leave the room, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Professor Dumbledore waited until the other students had left, "Professor Snape, I suggest you escort these students to their Common Rooms. Just to make sure they remember where they are."

Snape nodded and followed the others from the room. Blaise remainded standing where he was until Dumbledore chose to speak, "I understand you are interested in the school's history."

Blaise looked to the headmaster with some surprise, "You could say that."

"How much do you know of the history of the Slytherin House? I know you've been discovering the many different passages throughout the castle," Dumbledore continued quietly. Blaise watched as Pomfrey ministered to the other Slytherins who seemed to be ignoring Dumbledore's words.

"The general facts," Blaise answered Dumbledore's question, suspicious of where it was leading.

"Tonight was the third such disagreement in your House since its inception. Slytherins, while mostly of the same mold, seem to be of two minds in regards to their treatment of others. While they all believe in the superiority of their own House and aspire for power and greatness, the means of achieving that greatness is a source of contention," Dumbledore explained.

"That argument is an old discussion and one that is replayed over and over throughout the course of our history," Dumbledore paused looking down at the Slytherin at his side.

"You mean Voldemort," Blaise replied.

"He is one such case," Dumbledore replied. "However, I think in your mind Draco Malfoy may be another."

"Perhaps," Blaise replied quietly.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of in standing up for your beliefs, Lord Zabini. It is not a sign of weakness to aid another," Dumbledore continued.

Blaise snorted, but Dumbledore ignored him and continued, "I know you didn't want to do it. Perhaps you did it only for yourself in the beginning, but you still organized two other Houses into backing you and gave others of your House the strength they needed to do the same. It isn't only Gryffindors that are heroes and it isn't only Gryffindors that can make a difference."

Blaise looked at the Professor with an eyebrow raised, "I am not interested in being a leader or a hero. I'm not interested in helping to make a difference. In two years, I will take my place at my father's side in managing our family holdings. I don't care what happens with everything else."

"Of course not," Dumbledore smiled to himself. "That's why you carried Miss Bones up here from the dungeons instead of sending her with someone else."

Blaise frowned and looked down at Susan's pale features.

"She'll heal. Shield spells take a lot out of a person, but she's young yet and strong. She'll recover," Dumbledore finished.

"Lord Zabini, the next time you have a source of contention, do not think our leniency will continue. I find it disruptive to limit the use of the dungeons for long periods of time."

"Yes, Headmaster," Blaise replied gratified that there would be no worse punishment.

Dumbledore turned to walk away and then looked back at the Slytherin, "There's another internship position open with Gringots in their curse-breaking department this summer. There are also a few openings in the Ministry that may interest you. It may be a place to challenge even your exploratory skills, if your father can spare you. It's something to think about. I believe you have enrolled in all the required coursework to pursue a career there."

Dumbledore left Blaise standing at Susan's side, confusion freezing him in place. Get a job for the summer? What kind of rubbish was that?

Ron and Harry eventually managed to convince Hermione that they were well enough not to visit Madame Pomfrey. The six of them walked back to the Common Room and all Ron could think about was how much he wanted a shower and then his bed.

Neville told them that it had been Hermione that had eventually awaken in the common room and dragged the information out of Seamus about what was happening. She had left to go help, leaving the others no choice but to follow her. Ron had to chuckle at Neville's whispered words, no one would stop Hermione from doing something she had set her mind to.

Hermione walked between Ron and Harry, saying nothing in regards to the night's activities. It seemed her relief was short lived and her anger at being left behind would be around much longer.

Ron knew that early in the morning, with no sleep and as exhausted as he was, he needed to try to apologize to her.

"Hermione, I'm sorry. We didn't want to involve you. . ." Ron began.

"That's right, you didn't," she snapped. "What if something had happened to either of you and I hadn't been there because I was asleep? I saw what was going on Ronald and I'm sure the arm that was down there in the dungeons wasn't because of Harry."

"Hermione," Ron tried again keeping his voice low.

"Stop it. Just, stop it. I don't want to hear about how you and Harry decided you needed to run off and be heroes and I don't want to hear you explain that it wasn't that dangerous. It was that dangerous, Ron, and this is the fourth time since Christmas that you did something like this. I don't want to hear you apologize. I don't want to hear that you love me and that I am over-reacting. I don't want to hear that you are both still safe. You're both still safe because someone has come along at the right moment to keep you that way, Val, Neville, Susan, and now me. The only thing I want to hear from you is that you will start using the one muscle in your body you seem to keep ignoring, and it's the one between your ears."

Ron winced at her declaration and flashed a glance over his shoulder. The four guys all shrugged, leaving him alone with her anger.

Hermione stopped before the Common Room door, and Ron could see she was still building up steam, "What would I have done, Ron? When Professor McGonagal showed up in the dormitories telling us that you and Harry had gotten killed down there in the dungeons? How would I have felt knowing that you left me to sleep through it because you thought I needed it? Just once, I want you to try to think of the other side of your actions. There are consequences to doing something so reckless and those consequences will catch up to you if you don't start doing things differently."

"Hermione," Ron tried once again putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me," Hermione snapped shrugging the hand away. "I don't need to be comforted or cosseted. You're not going to smile at me and make me forget this. You've gone too far and how in the world am I going to trust that EITHER of you will exercise a little common sense? You two ARE NOT Padfoot and Prongs running around playing pranks on Slytherins. I know you two seem to think that you are James and Sirius, but you bloody well aren't. You do remember the last time we saw Sirius don't you?"

"Luv," Ron shook his head, her words stung him.

"Don't, I only want you to promise me not to go running off into those dangerous situations anymore without telling me and then actually do it. That's the only thing I want from you right now," Hermione snapped, her arms wrapped around her middle and her eyes filling with tears as she looked at him.

Ron wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head, "I promise, Hermione, everything will be fine. You'll see."

Hermione shook her head against him, and then stepped away from his embrace. "Words aren't going to be good enough, Ronald. Good night."

Hermione turned back towards the door and then looked back at Harry, "I will be telling Ginny in the morning if you don't, Harry. She deserves to know."

Hermione closed the door on them and Harry came up and put a hand on Ron's shoulder, "This isn't going to go away very quickly."

Ron nodded, "She will tell Ginny, Harry. You'd best beat her to it, if you do it may go a little better for you."

"Well, I guess there are some good things to being single," Seamus cracked walking around them to speak the password to open the door. "You blokes are going to be in the doghouse for weeks."


	75. Date Night

Hermione and Ginny remained angry with them for ten days after that night. Ron's classes, knight's training, Quidditch practice, and finally prefect duties ate up most of his free time, and once Hermione had finally forgiven him the rest of his time he spent with her. The dungeons were repaired, but you could still see signs of where the fighting had occurred that night. Susan's shields remained in place up to a week afterwards much to the surprise of Professor Moody. Hermione continued to disappear for long periods of time with her research for the Order, but she scheduled most of her work around Ron's schedule so that they managed to see each other more often. A change that Ron was more than grateful for

The fighting in the dungeons was supposed to have remained quiet, which meant the entire school knew the story by the following day. In it, Blaise, Daphne and Susan were lauded as heroes earning them all instant popularity and serving as a good first step to the general acceptance of the Slytherin House. The change in opinion didn't seem to effect Daphne who basked in the attention, but Blaise missed his privacy while the entire Hufflepuff House seemed determined to become his friend after carrying their favorite from the dungeons to the infirmary.

Ron didn't detect an immediate change in the majority of the Slytherin House as the aftermath finally settled. They still kept to themselves, but they were beginning to open up to some of the other houses. It was a slow process, but a good number of them seemed to be making an effort and it was all well accepted.

Susan though didn't regain consciousness for two days after her ordeal and didn't return to their additional defense training for a week and their physical training until a few days later. Her popularity continued and no matter where she went, she seemed swamped with people. The sudden fame didn't seem to affect the girl in the way that most would expect. She was still just Susan, but she seemed sadder. The entire school couldn't get enough of her advice and her help, but for all that attention, she smiled less.

The only time Ron ever saw the old Susan was when she was training, and even then her determination had tripled over night. Susan began besting Neville regularly and even Ron once. He had tripped over a step and landed on his side. Usually, Susan would stop and check on him, but that time she had blasted him knocking him into the far wall with a violence that surprised everyone in the room. Harry had called a halt for the day, but afterwards only Ron or Harry would train with the girl.

For their part, if it was possible, the additional training intensified even further for Ron and Harry as well. They pushed themselves constantly, leaving the three of them battered and bruised almost daily as they continued to try to improve. The night in the dungeons had taught all three a lesson in the possibility of failure.

As far as Blaise and Susan were concerned, no one knew what was happening there. He had stayed with her until she had awoken for the first time, but other than that, Blaise had avoided Susan since the incident. Hermione suspected that Blaise was sorting out his feelings and expectations towards the girl, but Susan wouldn't say one word regarding the dark-haired Slytherin and the mystery was almost more than the rumor mill could bear.

Malfoy had maintained his core group, plus Lenore and minus Pansy and Nott, after Saturday night's events. Malfoy hadn't changed a bit. His defeat seemed to incense him more, especially where Blaise, Daphne, and Susan were concerned. He continuously bragged about Susan's collapse in the hallway and taunted her when he could. It seemed his hate for the trio had tripled, but he was prevented from continuing with recruiting additional members for his side. Ron and Harry knew that the Cold War was not over for Draco Malfoy and that there would be consequences to those people that had been involved.

Still, time passed for Hogwarts and everyone resumed their normal routine for a few weeks until one morning . . .

Ron, Harry, and the rest of the sixth year boys watched their girlfriends whispering amongst each other with Luna and Susan among them. The bits of conversation Ron could understand centered on men and in particular their boyfriends and none of them sounded very happy.

"What is going on? Did I miss a dance coming up or something?" Neville asked as Luna waved him away when he attempted to infiltrate the group.

"Nah, nice attempt to break it up though mate," Dean replied making room. "What ever it is, it isn't good."

"Ron, can you hear anything they are saying?" Harry asked watching as Ginny looked over towards him and then back to the girls, obviously not happy.

"No, just something about dating and general men bashing," Ron replied trying to hear what Hermione was saying, something about a leash and lack of control.

"It seems you all had better start thinking quick," Daphne's voice interrupted them. She stood behind Ron and Harry with a knowing smile as they all looked at her confused.

"Why? Do you know what is going on with them?" Harry asked motioning for her to join them.

Daphne smiled weakly and sat down amidst the boys, obviously uncomfortable, "OK, you all owe me for this, but I am giving you an opportunity here."

Harry nodded, "What is it?"

"Blaise asked Susan out on a date last night, in the library, for Friday night," Daphne smiled gesturing over to Blaise who likewise seemed rather unhappy about the large number of girls gathered around Susan.

"What does that have to do with us?" Ron asked baffled.

"Look, all your girlfriends are sitting over there jealous and talking about the last time any of you blokes decided to show them some affection," Daphne whispered.

Ron and Harry looked at each other confused, "And I don't mean physically," Daphne smirked.

"So?" Ron asked missing her point.

"Look, I can guarantee you all a night you'll remember if each of you goes out and plans something special for your significant other for Friday night. Make sure you do something out of the ordinary and that you don't mention that anyone else is doing the same thing. Just be extra kind and considerate and your girls will make you extremely happy."

Daphne rose to her feet and looked at Harry, Ron, Dean, and Neville, "Something special gentleman and make sure you ask her to go with you."

Daphne smiled at the table and Ron watched Seamus look at her with a predatory gleam in his eye. Seamus had been more than interested in the blond Slytherin since Ron's birthday party and it seemed that she didn't mind.

"That lass is brilliant," Seamus muttered watching her walk away and join the girls at the far end of the table. "You blokes had better figure out something great or there will be hell to pay."

Friday night found four different blokes waiting on four different girls across the castle. Blaise waited just inside his recently discovered corridor into the Hufflepuff common room, watching the last of the Hufflepuffs leave for dinner. He waited five more minutes knowing she would arrive soon. He was not disappointed.

Blaise slowly opened the door into the common room to find one girl standing with her back to him. Susan wore muggle attire, a classic red dress and heels and her honey blond hair left hanging straight down her back. She didn't seem surprised to see him, but smiled hesitantly.

"You said to dress nicely. I umm. . . was this too much?" Susan blushed looking over at the dark Slytherin.

Blaise looked her over once again. The dress was flattering, there was no reason for her to worry, "Its fine."

Susan nodded, fidgeting with the end of her hair for a moment looking the Slytherin over in her turn. Most men would have told her she looked beautiful, and Susan found the lack of a compliment or even something nice bothered her more than she expected. Susan knew Blaise was not one to give compliments, but she still wanted to hear one. This date made her nervous. She felt like the normal rules didn't apply and that left her at a disadvantage. He'd ignored her for two weeks, not even a note and then last Monday he showed up in the library as if nothing had happened and asked her on a date. Susan had agreed, but the abrupt change had surprised her and it made her nervous.

Blaise himself had chosen dark trousers and a black sweater for the evening, maintaining his typical fastidious appearance. He looked around the Common Room taking in the large windows overlooking the lake and a number of small fountains, comfortable sofas, and tables arranged around hundreds of plants.

Susan waited for his judgment fighting her own unease, "The fountains are unexpected. I must say your view of the lake is something to envy," Blaise offered trying to be polite. Truly, the one thing he envied the other Houses were the windows to the outside, even if he would never admit that to another soul.

Susan remained where she was trying to take in the room for the first time, "Water is a calming influence and the plants, how else could I explain it but Madame Sprout? What is the Slytherin common room like?"

Blaise turned back to her a quick frown across his features that surprised Susan. She realized that the last time she had been in the Common Room was the night in the dungeons. Susan's frown matched Blaise's as he nodded his head towards the door, "We should go."

Susan lifted her bag, filled with her pajamas and robe for her return. Blaise looked at the bag with a quirk of his eye as he took it from her, "What is this?" Blaise asked surprised as he slung it over his shoulder allowing Susan to precede him to the opening back into the passage.

Susan shrugged and looked back at him over her shoulder, Blaise caught his breath for a minute as a small laugh escaped her, "You said no one outside our little group should know. I told everyone I wasn't feeling well. If someone sees me when I get back, I brought pajamas and a robe to change into," Susan explained stepping into the corridor ahead of him.

Blaise nodded lifting his lantern and keeping her bag with them. "This way," he nodded leading her back through the corridor. Blaise was amazed at his own nervousness as they walked. He was unsure of what etiquette demanded of him and he hesitated not wanting to look a fool. They walked in silence through the dim corridors, but for the sound of Susan's heels on the stone floors.

As Blaise grew closer to the dungeons he stopped, worried that someone would hear them, "Do you have any other shoes in this bag?" he whispered.

Susan paused her eyes startled, "I, yes, but you're not allowed to laugh," she added reaching for the bag.

Blaise handed it back to the girl, lifting his lantern so that she could rifle through her things. He caught site of pink pajamas and a fluffy robe and immediately fought the inappropriate images of Susan changing at the end of their date. Blaise watched in all curiousness as Susan pulled out two, pink fluffy slippers with yellow stars on the toes.

Susan slipped off her heels and put her feet into her slippers, and Blaise took in the site with his usual sarcastic smile and a low chuckle escaped him. The slippers were ridiculous with her dress. Susan, on the other hand, flushed and looked down, her blond hair falling in her face instantly regretting ever agreeing to this. Blaise's behavior over the past few weeks had confused Susan even more making her regret her decision to go on this date.

Susan hefted her own bag, resolved to go back to the Common Room and forget everything to do with Blaise Zabini, "Look, I know they're silly," she murmured fidgeting with the strap to her bag. "This was just a bad idea."

Blaise frowned, her embarrassment annoyed him. He lifted his lantern higher and saw the flush on her cheeks that she tried to hide. "Blaise, please?" she asked her embarrassment escalating even further. Why had he asked her to come?

Blaise set the lantern back on the floor and turned her face so that she looked him in the eyes, as he brushed her long blond hair back from her face. Blaise smelled the same blend of flowers and cinnamon as he stood close to her. She was so soft, and Blaise kicked himself for not being nicer to her. "You look beautiful," he spoke, his voice rough.

Susan blinked and tried to smile, but Blaise could see her relief, "Thank you," she whispered standing close to him and touching his hand where it rested upon her cheek.

"Do you want to go back?" Blaise asked, centuries of good breeding forcing the words out of him. He watched her closely, worried she may actually say yes.

"No, I'm fine," Susan replied stepping away from him. "How much further is it?"

Blaise took the bag away from her a second time, lifting the lantern once again, "Not much further."

Blaise turned to walk down the corridor and he felt he had missed something. He looked back at Susan standing in the center of the corridor, but this time he opened his hand to her, "I like the slippers."

Susan smiled, the first genuine smile she had given him all night. Blaise's heart did strange things in his chest as she slipped her hand in his. He was surprised at how well it fit into his grasp. He looked her over once again, and this time truly smiled, "I hope you are hungry."

Ginny wrapped her cloak tightly about herself as she walked up the last flight of stairs into the Astronomy Tower.

"Harry James Potter, you had better have a very good reason to drag me up here at this time of night," Ginny declared looking around an empty room. She frowned, "The least you could have done was tell me that you wouldn't be able to meet me. I covered rounds tonight so Ron and Hermione could sneak off someplace and the only thing I want to do is go to bed."

Ginny walked over to the windows and looked out to the starlit night her anger melting away to loneliness. Susan and Blaise were off somewhere, Neville had taken Luna out to the greenhouses for one reason or another and even her brother had planned something special for Hermione. That left Ginny and the Boy Who Lived, and Ginny's sorrow grew. "I miss you," she whispered her loneliness surprising her.

Ginny stared out at the night until she heard the sound of someone moving behind her. Ginny slowly pulled her wand out from her robes, careful to appear unconscious of the presence behind her. She counted to three and sent a Bat Bogey Hex at the figure behind her. Harry ducked the curse easily and smiled, "That isn't a good way to greet your boyfriend."

"Harry? I thought… Never mind what I thought," Ginny blushed a bit.

Harry walked forward and smiled, ruffling his all ready messy hair, "I know. Ginny, I am so sorry about things lately. I just, I just wanted to make sure you knew how much I cared about you."

Ginny blinked with surprise, "Umm . . . Harry, are you feeling well?"

Harry smiled back at her and his green eyes sparkled in the candlelight. Ginny's breath caught, taken aback once again, by Harry's green eyes and serious face. The boy was a magnet and she fought naught to be pulled in.

"I'm more than well Ginny. I just wanted to surprise you. We've spent so little time together, I just missed the two of us, you know?" Harry replied shrugging his shoulders.

Ginny conceded defeat, she had missed him too. "Oh Harry," she sighed wrapping her arms around him. "It was never about you or me," she smiled cuddling into his strong arms.

Harry rested his chin on the crown of her hair, whatever Daphne wanted in exchange for her idea he would gladly pay it. He hadn't realized how much he needed time alone with Ginny.

Harry pulled away and gestured towards a blanket he had laid upon the floor, "Dobby sent us up a picnic for two."

Ginny nodded, taking a seat and motioning for Harry to join her, "Well, we can't let this go to waste."

Neville adjusted his tie once more, amazed that he felt nervous about what he had planned. It was almost a year since he had drummed up enough nerve to ask her to be his girlfriend, and still after all this time, he was anxious to meet her approval.

"Neville," she smiled up at him, "I think all of the clocks skipped five minutes today. I haven't been able to find the missing time, but I have been late all day."

Neville shook his head, while Luna had some of the craziest notions, around him it was almost as if she knew she could just be herself and he wouldn't judge her. Most people would just apologize for being late, only Luna would think that something happened to time itself.

"You're not late, but your surprise is waiting," he replied offering his arm to the girl.

"I am glad that your leg is finally healed. You never told me about the centaur or how you and Susan were injured," Luna replied as she followed him through the castle.

"Well, Bane found Susan and I wandering through the forest. He wasn't pleased to see us, but he asked if we had seen any signs of a wounded centaur. Susan told him no and asked if there were any problems in the woods. It was Bane that told us of his concerns with the Darken Wolves. Susan and I agreed that if there were problems, then that would more than likely be exactly where we would find Ron. Susan offered to help Bane search for his friend, and thus we found them both. Susan cast one of her shields over Ron and gave him some blood replenishment tablets and the three of us fought off the wolves. I was too slow and one bit me in the leg. Susan was clawed at several times, but the wolves focused mainly on Bane which allowed us to keep them back with our magic."

"I am just grateful you were safe," Luna replied. "A centaur, Father told me that they have horrible tempers, was this one rude to you?"

"No," Neville replied as they left the castle and walked down the hill towards the greenhouses. "He wasn't nice, but he and Susan understood each other. It must have been because of that centaur that taught Divination for awhile."

Luna nodded as they walked outside, "Is your training continuing to progress well? I have to admit, I do enjoy some of the changes that have happened since the beginning of the year."

Neville blushed at her flattery, but couldn't deny it. He had not lost any weight, but he had noticed his arms and torso were thickening with muscle from his weight training and running with Susan had given him more stamina and energy than he had ever remembered having.

"Training is good," Neville replied. "Harry and Ron are amazing and you should see Daphne and Susan. After Harry and Ron, I think they are probably tied for the best in our little group. Susan and Ron have been dueling against each other almost constantly and it is getting really rough. Ron's doesn't take it easy on her at all, and Susan, while she's probably the best blocker in our group, her attacks aren't as quick. Then again, Ron isn't necessarily the quickest on defense and they both end up pretty tired and sore by the end of it. Besides all that, Susan even beat him once. "

Luna shook her head, it never dawned on Neville to speak of himself. He was always so concerned with other people, it was one of the things she loved about him the most. Luna knew Neville and Susan were close, but she also knew that Neville only had eyes for her and Susan, well Susan saw potential in some of the oddest places.

"Now, enough about other people. What kind of surprise is it?" she asked smiling up at her wonderful Neville.

Neville smiled and opened the door to the greenhouse for her, "This way, my lady."

Ron paced nervously around the Common Room waiting for Hermione come down for the Girl's Dormitories. He had the house prepared in Hogsmeade, everyone was at dinner and Harry had lent him the Maurader's Map to get safely into and out of the castle without detection. Everything was ready and in place for the two of them to spend their first night alone in the cottage since they had mutually inherited it from Sirius Black that fall. Well, Ron amended, everything but Hermione.

Ron heard hurried footsteps long before he saw Hermione step into the Common Room, her cloak and muggle clothes tight around her, "Are you ready?" Ron asked looking her over, praying she hadn't changed her mind.

Hermione lifted her pack, "All set."

Ron took her hand in his and kissed her cheek, "Let's go before someone sees us. Harry and Ginny are going to cover for us for the rest of the evening."

Hermione nodded. Ever since the time in the Castle Galiard, she knew that she and Ron needed to talk and she hoped that getting him alone and away from everything for awhile may help him to be honest with her about what was going on with him. While, she wasn't pleased about breaking so many school rules and leaving to go into town, a small part of her knew that she needed the break as well.

Ron and Hermione arrived at the cottage a short time later, careful not to be seen inside Hogsmeade as they hurried through the streets. They stopped inside the small entrance, breathing heavily, as Ron took Hermione's cloak and hung both his and hers by the door.

"When did you become such a bad influence?" Hermione teased looking around the cottage. "I still can't believe I let you talk me into this."

"There was no talk," Ron replied watching as Hermione wandered through the small parlor on her way back to the kitchens. "I won," Ron replied. Ron had talked Hermione into a chess game on Tuesday. If she had won, Ron would have been left taking his own notes in class for the rest of the semester. He had soundly beaten her in about ten moves, the shortest game they had played together in some time.

"I know, I let you," Hermione replied over her shoulder as she walked through the kitchen into the dining room where Lolly had laid out a dinner waiting for them.

"You told her we were coming," Hermione smiled up at the large red head behind her as he held her chair out for her.

"Of course," Ron replied sitting next to her, "I also gave her the night off. I didn't want any distractions this evening."

Blaise stopped before a large wooden door and with a quick "Alohamora," it swung open before him. He stepped inside and motioned for Susan to enter.

Susan looked about the room with curiosity. Dark, leather sofa sat in front of the fireplace on the far side of the room. A low table sat in front of one with dinner arranged and a single candlestick upon the table. A large desk was the only other piece of furniture and it was filled with books and scrolls, all neatly stacked and grouped over it. The room had the feel of someone's study.

Susan looked back to Blaise with a smile, surprised, "Where are we?" she asked standing next to him in the door.

"I believe this is the sitting room to the Slytherin Head Boy's apartments," he replied walking about to the other doors. "This one leads to a bed chamber," he gestured to the right and "This one leads to the dormitories."

"How is this possible? Do people know we are here?" Susan asked a little embarrassed at her situation.

"I have been sleeping up here rather regularly over the past three months. I believe Snape knows about it, but he hasn't said anything, and I haven't offered to move my things. Professor Snape is a man who knows how to respect another's privacy," Blaise replied motioning for Susan to take a seat before the fire.

Susan was still surprised at Blaise's casual disregard for where they were. "Don't your housemates complain?" Susan asked.

"No, they know better than that," Blaise answered her with a fierce look.

Susan nodded as Blaise prepared a plate for himself and another for her. Susan remembered her Aunt's response to her latest letter. "Very few Hufflepuffs and Slytherins are compatible, Susan. Don't set your hopes too high. All too often a Hufflepuff and a Slytherin see things in exact opposite. In regards to Lord and Lady Zambini, little is known about that reclusive couple. They are wealthy and well respected. I have met them both and have little to say in regards to the occasion. As Slytherins go, they are the best of what I have known, but I worry for you. I know you despise the attitudes and judgments of the people around you, but remember that those judgments were made for a reason. Make your own decision, but please be cautious. I would prefer not to see my favorite niece be hurt."

"Your dinner," Blaise told her handing her a plate with different dishes, filet mignon, asparagus, new potatoes, not the traditional school fare.

"Where did this come from?" Susan asked further surprised at the expensive food Blaise had arranged for them.

"I had it delivered from Hogsmeade," Blaise replied as he began eating.

Susan watched the Slytherin for awhile, unsure of what to say next. Her Aunt's warnings filled her with unease, and she found her appetite disappearing as she studied her pink, fuzzy slippers with interest.

"Is the food not to your liking?" Blaise asked watching her in his turn. He sensed her discomfort, but didn't understand the source.

"You didn't have to go to all of this trouble," Susan replied leaving the plate ignored on the floor. She felt like a hypocrite in her dress. It wasn't her. The pink, fuzzy slippers were her and she had to wonder at Blaise's motives. He had brought her to his bedroom, arranged an expensive meal. What was he expecting? Could Terry and Hannah have been right?

"It was no trouble," Blaise replied, his eyes narrowing as he watched the play of emotions across her face. Something was upsetting her.

Susan seemed to reach a decision a moment later, "Blaise?" she asked quietly.

"Yes?" he replied, his back stiffening as he dreaded what she would say next.

"Why are we here?" Susan replied shaking her head, "Look, I mean, why did you even ask me to come? I don't remember much of that Sunday, but I woke up once and you were just gone and then you don't even send me a note or anything until you show up in the library and now this," Susan paused. "Look, why are we here? I'm really confused."

Blaise cocked one eyebrow at her discomfort and the sarcastic smirk reappeared on his face. Susan flushed and moved to rise to her feet, when his hand on her wrist stopped her.

Blaise pushed her plate and his away from them before answering her question. "We are here, because we could be comfortable, alone, and I thought you would appreciate not being taken up to the Astronomy Tower for a snogging session," he told her moving closer to her, careful to keep his grip around her wrist.

"The food was because I prefer it to our normal fare," he continued pulling her towards him so that their faces were inches apart.

"I haven't spoken to you in a few weeks, because I needed some time to sort through some things. I stayed that day until I knew you were all right," Blaise replied remembering the hours he had sat next to her bedside praying that her shaking would stop and that she would open her eyes. Blaise pushed those memories away from him and continued.

"And I asked you to come because we enjoy each other's company and because I want something from you," he continued leaning even closer.

Susan's eyes widened in the firelight and he could smell flowers and cinnamon as her face became more serious.

"What do you want?" Susan asked worried and expectant at the same time. His nearness was intoxicating. He smelled of cologne and male and Susan's fingers itched to touch his thick, dark curls.

Blaise released her wrist and touched her cheek softly, gently even before tilting her chin towards him. Susan knew what was coming next, had ample time to avoid it, but found she didn't want to. As Blaise bent down towards her, her eyes drifted closed, waiting.

Blaise looked down at her and knew he was lost. He kissed her, gently, intending it to calm her nerves. The shock from that intimate touch surprised him. The brief kiss not nearly enough, he kissed her again, and this time she met him. Her mouth opened to him and he tasted spicy, hot cinnamon as she opened herself to him and responded in kind.

Susan ran one of her hands through his dark hair as she wrapped her arm about his shoulders enjoying being thoroughly kissed by Blaise. He growled low in his throat in response as he lifted her onto his lap to continue the kiss. He would never taste cinnamon again and not think of her.

Blaise pulled away a short time later and looked down at her swollen lips and dazed, dark eyes. This had been a bad idea. Never had he felt anything like that with Lenore. His emotions surprised him as he held her to him.

Susan looked at Blaise amazed. Sure, she had been kissed before, but that, that wasn't just a kiss. Where had that come from? What did he think of her? Susan breathed in his clean scent and fought to keep her blush down. The feel of his arms wrapped around her was wonderful. She trusted him, she realized, after everything, she trusted him.

"That was more than I had expected," Blaise broke the silence first pulling away enough to regard her.

"No, I, Blaise, I'm sorry. I should not have been so exuberant," Susan replied turning her face away towards the firelight, afraid to even look at him.

Blaise chuckled low in his throat as he turned her face back towards him and brushed her hair away from her face. "No apologies necessary. It was my pleasure," he replied the sarcastic smirk back on his face.

Susan smiled herself as her stomach grumbled, "I suppose we should eat."

Blaise released her, but this time, she stayed closer to him as they picked up their plates.

Harry and Ginny ate quickly discussing the upcoming Quidditch finals, Ginny's upcoming O.W.L.'s, and any other random gossip that came to mind.

"I still can't believe Lavendar broke up with Seamus for Ernie MacMillon. I never saw that once coming," Harry laughed.

"Oh, I can. Seamus and Lavender were both too big of flirts to stay together. Ernie will be good for Lavender. He'll shower her with attention, like she wanted, and well, we know Lavender will make him happy," Ginny smiled with a wicked gleam.

"Lucky bastard," Harry joked with a wink at Ginny who balled up her fist at him.

"I hardly think you are the one with any right to complain Potter. I'm not the one that's been chronically canceling lately," Ginny retorted as if she was joking, but they both knew she was also telling the truth.

Harry caught her fist and pulled her towards as they both stretched out on the blanket looking up at the stars. Ginny rested her head on his shoulder and their hands were entwined on Harry's chest and once again he was amazed at how good she felt to him.

"You're right Ginny," Harry whispered. "You know, something else happened when we went after the Cauldron that I didn't tell you about."

Ginny sat up over him, looking down at his face with a worried frown. Harry brushed her hair out of her face and smiled up at her. "Ginny, in the chamber where the Cauldron was kept, my test. . . my test was to face the largest Dementor I had ever seen."

"A Dementor? But you can produce a Patronus, that shouldn't have been much of a challenge," Ginny replied curious and confused.

"Ginny, my Patronus didn't even slow it down. I thought it was a boggart, but that didn't end up being the case. It… I saw all of these horrible visions. I saw Voldemort kill Cedric again, I saw him torture Ron and Hermione screaming for him to stop. It…" Harry's voice grew husky and broke. His eyes watered at the memory and Ginny's hand wiped the moisture once again from his face.

"Oh Harry," she whispered kissing him lightly. "It's over now. You defeated the Dementor."

Harry smiled up at her, "I know. It was because of you."

Ginny's eyes widened in surprise, "Harry?"

"Ginny, it's true. I couldn't stop the Dementor with the Patronus. I grabbed it and forced every good memory I could think of down it's ruddy throat using Legilmancy. I remembered Ron and Hermione and then I remembered you. I remembered seeing you at the train station first year, the Burrow, the Chamber of Secrets, Quidditch practice, our first kiss, the Valentine's Ball, the first night we slept together. I remembered the sound of your laughter and the feel of your arms around me and I remembered how much I love you and how I haven't been doing a good job of showing you. I just, I just needed you to know that, no matter what happens." Harry whispered harshly.

Ginny shook her head, "You know I don't want you to talk like that."

Harry just ignored her, "Ginny, this is important. All of my happiest memories have you in them, Ginny. You are what keep me going, even when I can't spend as much time with you as I would like. I love you, Ginny."

Ginny smiled down at him and kissed him, soundly, before pulling back, "Harry, I love you too. Just when I was ready to give you a long lecture, you skip to the making up part."

Harry smiled up at her, "The making up part is the best part anyway," he added pulling her to him for another long kiss that quickly began to escalate as clothes were removed and skin met bare skin.

Ginny pulled away from him once more and Harry groaned, tightening his arms in protest. "Harry?"

"Yes?" he asked looking at her swollen lips and tousled hair. She looked sexy as hell and it was driving him crazy.

"Harry, I want to share something with you too," Ginny whispered, hesitant.

Harry looked up at her confused, "What Ginny?"

"Harry, make love to me," Ginny whispered her face turning red.

Harry rolled them over so that he looked down at her, "Ginny, are you sure? I didn't tell you all that so we would shag."

Ginny shook her head and smiled up at him, "Harry, I want to, for both of us. I love you and I want to do this."

Harry still looked like he didn't believe her and Ginny laughed, "Oh come on you prude! We've done practically everything else. Hell, Luna and Neville have been going at it like rabbits for months! What's so wrong with us?"

Harry pulled a face, "That was an image I didn't need Ginny."

Ginny just smiled and pulled him down for another long kiss, "I love you, Harry. Please make love to me."

Harry looked down at her once more and saw her serious face. He finally believed that he had words that every 16 year-old dreams of from his girlfriend, "I don't deserve you, Ginny."

Ginny's laugh filled the Astronomy Tower, "And don't you forget it, Potter!"

"Close your eyes," Neville warned covering Luna's blue eyes with his hand as he led her into the greenhouse.

A lone violin began playing in the background as he moved his hand, "Now, open them."

Luna smiled up at Neville as he moved so that she could see all of her favorite plants arranged around the room. Candles lit the area where roses and radishes were arranged.

"Tell me again, why radishes?" Neville asked and Luna walked around the room.

"Oh, roses are beautiful, but radishes are so underestimated as a vegetable. Someone needs to remember them," Luna smiled back at Neville.

"Well, I'm glad you still appreciate roses," Neville smiled as he handed Luna a single, red rose. She took it from him and tucked it behind her ear.

"What do you think?" she asked smiling up at him, her raddish earrings bobbing.

"You are beautiful," Neville told her, holding out a hand to her.

Luna smiled up at him as she took his hand. He pulled her into an embrace and then commenced to dance around their little garden.

Luna's forehead rested against Neville's chin as she hummed along with the violin. Neville danced them around the room enjoying the feel of her in his arms. The smell of roses and Luna's perfume calming him.

"You know," Neville smiled down at Luna as she pulled away far enough to look up at him. "I'm can't decide if I like the radish earrings or the rose better."

Luna smiled and shook her head, "The rose is the obvious choice."

"No," Neville replied, "You are the obvious choice. The rest are just plants."

Luna chuckled, low in her throat, "And you love each and every one of them."

Neville took a few quick turns and spun Luna around in the greenhouse until they were both out of breath from laughter.

Neville stopped twirling her and pulled her to him once more, "Luna, there's something else I wanted to tell you."

"What?" she asked watching as Neville's face became tinged with red.

"You see, we have the dormitory to ourselves tonight, if we want to," Neville spoke up continuing to dance Luna around the room.

Luna smiled, she knew where most of Neville's roommates were this evening, "Why? Where is everyone?" she asked hating to spoil Neville's surprise.

"Well, Dean, Harry, and Ron are all out all night with their girlfriends and Seamus owed me one. I thought it would be a nice change of pace from our usual spot."

Luna smiled up at Neville and rested her forehead against his chin once more, "That sounds wonderful. I'll need to get a few things from my room. When are you wanting to go?"

Neville kissed the crown of her hair, "After the next song."

Ron slowly ran his fingers down Hermione's arm, reveling in the feel of her skin. It was a stark contrast to Hermione. Hermione wasn't soft, she was fierce and it showed in everything she did. Even in her kisses, which often left his lips swollen and his neck bruised, her passionate nature was there. The warmth of the fire seemed to have cast a sensuous pall over the room and Hermione pressed herself hard against Ron.

Ron could smell Hermione no matter where they were in the castle, but here on the couch of their cottage her sheer proximity caused her scent to envelop him. Normally Ron let Hermione take the lead in physical matters so as to never pressure her into something unwanted. Tonight though, that part of him that was always an animal clawed its way to the surface.

Running his hand underneath Hermione's thigh he lifted her slightly and shifted her so he was leaning over her and proceeded to nip gently at the tender skin at the base of her neck.

Her gasp so was soft only Ron's preternatural hearing could have heard it but it was enough to goad him into further action. This time, he placed his lips over the spot he had just nipped and swiped his tongue over the sensitive spot. The gasp was louder and when his lips sucked on the spot her fingernails dug into his biceps.

Moving his head upward, he captured her bottom lip in between both of his and teased it only for a moment before opening his mouth and thrusting his tongue inside. Hermione moaned when her tongue met his and then again when he lowered himself to press her into the soft cushions of the couch.

Supporting his weight with his left arm Ron slowly ran his fingers down the length of her neck stopping briefly to caress the spot he had just marked. Then he continued downward sliding softly over the scratchy wool of her jumper until he reached the bottom hem. He slipped his hand under the jumper and top she wore underneath.

The skin of her stomach was warm and far softer than the skin of her arm. Pausing for a moment to absorb the sight of Hermione's flushed face; he was mesmerized by the way she bit her lower lip.

That simple act caused his desire for her flare inside of him and he moved his hand over her ribcage and then reaching further under the jumper he closed his hand around her breast.

Hermione gasped and arched her back slightly as soon as his fingers touched the skin that swelled over the tops of her bra.

At Hermione's gasp Ron sucked air in desperately to drive out the suddenly light headed feeling that suddenly seemed to have taken control of him. Ron could feel a hardness beginning under Hermione's bra and he wanted, oh so badly, to touch it unimpeded by any barriers.

Just as Ron was starting to slide his hand under the barrier, he felt her hands remove themselves from his hair and she placed them on his chest and pushed him back.

Ron knelt on the couch towering over Hermione's prone form and shook his head to clear his confusion. He started to lean back over her when she suddenly sat up and then stood with her back to him.

"Ron, I came here tonight because we need to talk."

"You've been kissed before," Blaise asked curious if what he had felt had been reciprocated. Blaise had tried his best to ignore the kiss, but being a 16 year old male, his hormones wouldn't ignore the fact that there was an attractive girl sitting within arm's reach that he wanted to snog out of her bloody mind.

"Yes, a few times," Susan replied smiling over at him.

"Who?" Blaise asked pressing. Curious as to what she would say. Anything to distract his rather interesting thoughts in regards to the girl sitting at this right.

"You mean, besides you?" Susan teased him again. "You first."

Blaise frowned, "I asked you," he replied attempting to find and anything to do with his hands, that didn't involve touching her. His grip on the plate tightened and he found he had little appetite for the remainder of his dinner.

"Funny that, I'm not going to tell you until you tell me first. While you seem to be incredibly curious, you'd rather not tell me anything. In this case, you are going to have to tell me first and then trust that I will respond in kind," Susan answered.

Blaise frowned, but decided to try it her way, "Well, Daphne of course, and I dated Lenore most of last school term."

"Daphne, of course?" Susan asked annoyed at her own sharp tone and jealous thoughts.

Blaise winked at her, "You were the one that wanted to know why we weren't snogging constantly."

"I," Susan replied unsure of what to say. "Well, I never."

"Relax, it was once, three years ago and it was entirely forgettable for both of us," Blaise chuckled again as he finished his dinner. Perhaps this was a better idea than he had originally though.

"Your turn," he added watching Susan's face flush.

"Well, Terry and I dated for about two months last year. Then there was Ernie Macmillon, Dean, and now you. I guess I needed to cover all of the Houses," Susan replied making a small joke.

"Dean, that Gryffindor that hangs around with Potter and Weasley? When?" Blaise asked, admittedly put off that her list was longer than his own.

"Fourth year," Susan replied putting her plate back on the table. "Dinner was delicious. Thank you."

Blaise followed suit, annoyed at the thought of Susan and Dean, but at least it hadn't been Potter or Weasley. "You're welcome," he replied rather stiffly. Discussing ex-boyfriends and girlfriends was definitely enough to kill any untoward thoughts he'd been harboring regarding the extremely flattering red dress she was wearing.

"What happened with you and Lenore?" Susan asked her curiosity getting the better of her.

Blaise frowned regretting his momentary thought that this was a good distraction. Why hadn't he brought up Quidditch? Blaise rose to his feet and offered his hand to her, "The couch is probably more comfortable," he replied helping her to her feet and then watching as she tucked her long legs under her as she sat on the sofa trying to decide how best to answer her question.

Susan watched his discomfort with fascination as he paced around the room. Susan took in the green curtains and wall hangings that surrounded her, it was a cold, formal place. She sat curled up in one corner of the couch wishing for a blanket as she shivered, the distance from the fire leaving her cold.

Blaise noticed her discomfort because he walked out of the room for a minute, and then returned with a dark green comforter and pillow that he handed to her, "Being this far underground, the dungeons never seem to get warm. This will help."

Susan wrapped the blanket around her and left the pillow on the arm rest leaning back against it. The blanket smelled of soap and a musky scent that she had begun to associate with Blaise. "Thank you," Susan smiled back up at the grumpy Slytherin as he took a seat opposite her on the sofa.

Blaise frowned and looked over at Susan and watched her shiver again, "What do you remember after the blast in the dungeons?"

Susan paused, Blaise stared intently into the fire. "Lenore cast a spell, it hit the wall behind me. After that, I don't remember much more than being tired and cold. Someone carried me, a long way I think, but I don't remember much until I woke up in the Infirmary."

"We found you, collapsed in the hall with Caleb. His right arm useless. The boy was in tears, but refused to leave you alone because he said you wouldn't know how to get back to the Common Room," Blaise told her.

"I carried you back to the Common Room and then to the Infirmary. Dumbledore and Snape were there. We weren't punished. You wouldn't stop shaking. Madame Pomfrey said that your body was in shock. You were unconscious for ten hours before you woke the first time," Blaise told her remembering how he had sat at her bed side as she slept, worried sick for the first time in his life in regards to another. He hadn't realized how much he liked the girl and how much that knowledge had scared him.

"When you woke for the first time, do you remember anything you said?" Blaise asked Susan, still staring intently at the fire.

Susan thought back harder, she remembered someone there with her in the cold, but nothing other than the feeling that someone was there for her, "I don't remember anything more than a presence there with me. Silly, I know. Madame Pomfrey said that she had refused all visitors until I had awoken."

"I was there. I didn't leave," Blaise told her still staring intently into the fire. Susan scooted over close to him, but he wouldn't look at her, "You opened your eyes and told me that you were sorry and you were glad that I'd found you."

"I don't understand," Susan told Blaise.

"You were sorry. Bloody hell Susan, you were sorry that you'd walked into a trap that I had sent you into. Then you told me you glad I was there. What was I supposed to think!" Blaise growled.

"Blaise, you're losing me," Susan told him.

"Susan, I'm a Slytherin. We don't apologize for anything and we absolutely aren't glad other people are around. I should have been glad that it was you that caught in the trap instead of me, but no I felt guilty. Guilty!"

"Wait, you're upset because you cared?" Susan laughed.

Blaise frowned, "I hardly think there's anything funny about this."

"Yes, yes there really is," Susan replied shaking her head.

Blaise needed a distraction, anything to get off the subject from before and then it happened, the same thing that happens to most sixteen year-old males where a beautiful girl is concerned. Blaise's annoyance took a turn in the wrong direction. Susan, wrapped up in his blanket in the glow of the fire was becoming a distraction of her own. The memory of the kiss still fresh on his mind, he wanted to try again.

He opted instead to continue with his initial plan, "What about you and that wanker, Boot?" he continued. It was her turn to be honest.

"Terry? Well, I guess, it was all his idea. We had been friends since first year and I knew he had a torch for me for awhile, but he never had the nerve to make a move. It was Hannah that finally convinced him to ask me out, and I said yes thinking we were such good friends that we would be umm. . . well, compatible. It turned out very quickly that we weren't. At least, I didn't think we were, but Terry seemed so happy I didn't want to hurt him," Susan frowned looking back at the fire.

"Define compatible," Blaise asked pouring himself a cup of hot chocolate and one for her. He handed her the cup of hot chocolate and used it as an excuse to move closer to her.

Susan blushed and looked back at Blaise, her hands wrapped around the mug, "He's the worst snog I've ever had the unfortunate experience of witnessing first hand."

Blaise's sarcastic smirk turned into a full-scale laugh and even Susan had to admit there was some humor in the situation. "You ended it with the bloke because he was a bad snog? That is too rich!" Blaise chuckled taking one sip of his hot chocolate and realizing that chocolate was not enough to make him stop staring at her. He fought to focus on what she was saying.

Susan just shook her head, "I stuck it out for awhile, but the guy was clueless. It was worse than awful and I felt horrible for it. In the end, I could barely stand to be around him, and thus I ended it."

"That bad?" Blaise followed, the sarcastic smile on his face as he set both of the mugs of hot chocolate back on the table, hardly touched.

"It was like kissing a snake. It was just disgusting," Susan cringed before noticing where Blaise had moved to. His arm draped along the back of the couch behind her, he looked down at her, his face inches from her own.

"Like a snake?" he continued, the sarcastic smile back on his face, but the way he looked at her was almost predatory. He gave up and moved towards her again. Perhaps the first time had been a fluke?

Susan nodded, as Blaise came towards her again, "I think that's an insult to the snakes. I am sure they are much better than Terry," he whispered as he tucked a strand of her long, gold hair behind her ear. Susan shivered at his touch, but didn't back away, and Blaise desperately wanted to prove that kissing him would not be such an unfortunate event for the beautiful girl sitting so close to him. He had to convince himself that what had happened earlier wasn't an accident.

"Blaise?" Susan whispered her eyes meeting his and worry clouding them again.

"Yes?" he replied his knuckles lightly brushing against her cheek as he struggled to pay attention to what she was saying.

"Have you ever heard of a Slytherin and a Hufflepuff actually being able to maintain a relationship?" she whispered breaking eye contact.

Blaise froze, he had anticipated her question, but he knew the subject would come up eventually. Susan was not an one night stand type of girl, and Merlin help him, Blaise wasn't in this for a quick shag. If he wanted that, there were plenty of beautiful birds in his own house that would be happy to accommodate him.

"No," he replied honestly pulling away from her.

Blaise hadn't spoken to his parents about Susan and, he admitted to himself, that he truly was concerned about their reaction to the news. However, while he knew they would not be particularly pleased, he found himself surprised that he didn't truly care what they or anyone else thought about the matter. Susan was his and that was final, for as long as she would have him.

"Have you?" Blaise asked her in his turn. Curious as to what she was thinking.

Susan shook her head negatively, "No, my Aunt said Hufflepuffs and Slytherins are almost exact opposites. It's a rare thing that two would actually make a relationship work."

"What else did your Aunt say?" Blaise asked unhappy all of the sudden.

"She said to be careful and to make my own judgments," Susan replied as the cold, Slytherin mask covered Blaise's face once more.

"What did your parents say about me?" Susan asked him suddenly. Not sure where her curiosity came from.

"I haven't told them," Blaise returned, the mask still in place.

Susan sat up straight and took one of Blaise's hands in her own. He looked at her, but his eyes were distant, guarded. "Will what they say change your mind about this? Us, I mean?"

"No," Blaise replied stiffly, still forcing himself to be honest with her. "I doubt they will be pleased, but it is my decision and that is something they must respect."

"I feel the same way," Susan replied. "Your parents don't know me and my Aunt hasn't met you. Let's worry about what they think after they had an opportunity to actually meet us."

Blaise turned his frown on her, "Then why did you ask?"

Susan didn't flinch, but instead rested her head on his shoulder, "I needed to know. I needed to hear you say it."

Blaise considered her response and then shifted wrapping his arms her once more. Susan looked up at him with a soft smile and Blaise willingly committed himself to her and the possibility of a relationship once again, "No, I don't know of any couples Susan, but I know a Slytherin that's willing to give it a try," he finished.

The smile on Susan's face was all the more encouragement Blaise needed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him. This time it was Susan that initiated the kiss and Blaise was more than happy to oblige. His Hufflepuff had guts and damn if she wasn't brilliant to boot.

Harry and Ginny laid curled up on the floor of the Astronomy tower and Harry thought he wouldn't stop smiling for a week.

"Are you comfortable?" he murmured into Ginny's hair.

"Hmmm?" Ginny responded shifting in her sleep, her arm tightened briefly across Harry's chest before she relaxed again.

Harry stared up at the stars and couldn't believe his luck. He was lying naked in the Astronomy Tower with the most beautiful girl in school and he couldn't have asked for anything better than this moment.

Harry reflected back on Talon's words from the castle and the looks on Ron and Hermione's faces as they had danced together that night. Harry knew that if he had a mirror, his face would show the same amazed reverence Ron's had when Hermione had entered the room.

All the training, the work, and the worry melted away from Harry as he was reminded how small he was in the universe. He and Ginny, tucked away in the night, where no one would ask him about Voldemort, of Quidditch, or training. Here there were no Dementors, no attacks, no Slytherin Cold War and expectant professors. Here, Harry found peace for the first time in so long he barely recognized the sensation. It overwhelmed him as he listened to the sound of Ginny's breathing. He loved her. In the end, he couldn't be without her and he would fight only that much harder to remain at her side. Tonight, Harry considered the possibility that there may be a future for him. A future with children, a job, family vacations, Christmas at the Weasley's, and living next to Ron and Hermione where their children would grow up together. Harry knew, a knowing that touched his very core, that he wanted to win. He wanted to live. He wanted a future without Voldemort, anger, and fear. He wanted it all and most of all he wanted her.

Ginny stirred against him once more. Harry smiled down into her hair knowing he wouldn't sleep. Whatever Daphne wanted in payment, Harry would give it to her in spades.

Neville waited for Luna outside of the Ravenclaw Common Room wondering what he had done to deserve such a wonderful woman to choose him. Luna returned, a bag slung over her shoulder, "I'm ready."

Neville nodded, "Remind me that we need Blaise to give us a map of those corridors he's been finding so that we can cross from the Gryffindor Common Room back to the Ravenclaw Common Room without having to dodge prefects, professors, Peeves, and so on ."

"Blaise has maps to the castle?" Luna whispered as they hurried through the halls.

"Yes, Susan said he's been making maps of the entire castle. He seems to think the corridors are mostly used by the House Elves," Neville replied as he paused, pulling Luna behind a pillar as Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle .

Neville waited until they were past and then hurried Luna along, "We need to get back to the Common Room."

"Cold War?" Luna laughed, "What an odd name."

"Wingardium Leviosa," Neville spoke the password as the portrait swung open to reveal an empty Common Room.

Neville and Luna hurried up the stairs to the sixth year dormitories before someone would see them.

Neville led Luna into the room and closed the door. "Where do you think Seamus is off to?" he asked as Luna took a seat on his bed.

Luna shook her head, her hair silver in the moonlight, "I'm sure he's somewhere comfortable."

Neville nodded and immediately forgot about everything as Luna pulled him down beside her.

Hermione watched as Ron shook himself from the haze that had flowed through both of them. Finally, he managed to regain his focus and he sat back down and looked at Hermione.

"Okay, come have a seat and we'll talk."

Hermione realized the trap when she saw it. If she got anywhere within arms reach, Ron would have her back on that couch and snogging in less than a minute. Just the thought caused her to grow even warmer than she already was.

"I think I'll stand for the moment, thank you," she hoped the smile she gave him would take away some of the sting.

Ron nodded and then waited for her to say something.

Hermione took a deep breath and started, "I can't stop worrying about you, Ron. You're taking unnecessary risks and you're worrying a lot of people who care about you."

Hermione could see Ron's eyes light up the way they did when he thought he was being attacked, and she tried to cut him off before things got bad.

"I know you aren't doing it intentionally and I know you do the things you do because you want to make a difference. The thing is that you and Harry don't have to do everything."

Ron ran his fingers through his hair and looked back up at her, "Somebody has to do it Hermione. I can't let them hurt you or Dad again and I damn sure won't just stand by while Voldemort kills Harry," Ron jumped to his feet and rose to his feet in front of her. "I am who I am Hermione. I thought that was enough for you."

His misunderstanding didn't surprise her and she knew she had to stop this before his pride started to get in the way. Hermione took two quick steps towards him and reached out for his hands.

"You know as well as I do that I'm mad for you, Ron. So mad for you that I don't want to lose any of the time we could be together because you get yourself killed."

"You know I don't take needless risks, Hermione. I'm not stupid," Ron lifted her hands to his lips and slowly turned them over. Looking her right in the eye he ran his tongue along the lines of her palm.

It was Hermione's turn to shake her head in a vain attempt to clear her thoughts. Even as she felt herself flush again, she turned back to the conversation, "Ron, this is important to me."

With a sigh, Ron lowered her hands and then let them drop, "What do you want me to say, Hermione?"

"It's not what I want you to say, Ron. It's what I want you to do. I want you to be more careful."

"Damn it,Hermione, sometimes I _can't _be careful. I have responsibilities."

Hermione winced at the word. How long had she nagged at him to be more responsible only to have it bite her on the bum? "I _need _you to be more careful. In case you haven't noticed, I need you."

She could see Ron's face fall as he saw the tears start to well up in her eyes. She rubbed at them furiously, but he had all ready seen.

"I promise I'll be more careful 'Mione. I promise," he murmured pulling her down to him and wrapping his arms around her once more.

As she folded herself into the crook of his shoulder, she could hear the sincerity in his voice. He meant it, but she knew it was a lie. The hollow words helped dry her tears, but even though they stopped she knew his promise to her would only last until he once again found himself, or one of his pride, in danger. He just couldn't be any other way than he is and how could she fault him for that? Then again, another voice inside of her whispered, how much longer could she do nothing?

Deep in the dungeons, a Slytherin sat on the couch, a magazine in his lap, while a blond haired Hufflepuff dozed on his shoulder. Susan had fallen asleep as she and Blaise had been reading an article on the Chudley Cannon's prospects over the summer. After she had fallen asleep, Blaise had turned the magazine to read the article on the speculations as to whom the anonymous buyer had been that purchased the Appleby Arrows. He smiled as he looked back at the fire. He couldn't wait for the summer.

Susan shifted against him and Blaise's thoughts turned back the girl at his side. He couldn't ever see himself sitting at the Hufflepuff table for a meal and he certainly didn't want Susan at the Slytherin table, but he could see them continuing to study in the library together. Blaise didn't understand the point of walking a girl to class, but there were other things that would be permissible. He just hoped Susan didn't turn into someone that was overly clingy or emotional in public. Blaise preferred his private life to stay private and his relationship with Susan would be on that list. He was going to have to start running though. There was no way he could allow her to be in that much better shape.

The clock tolled the hour as three a.m. and Susan stirred against him, "Blaise, what time is it?"

"Time to go back to your Common Room," Blaise replied rising to his feet and leaving the magazine closed on the table.

Susan rubbed her eyes and stretched, the blanket falling back to her waist, "Do you have a loo here?"

"Go back through the bedroom and it's the first door on the right," he replied rising to his feet.

Susan grabbed her bag and walked out of the sitting room and into the dark bedroom. A chest, a school trunk and a bookcase lined the walls around a large bed with dark green hangings similar enough to her own bed. Susan entered the loo and changed quickly out of the red dress and into her pajamas and robe. She still wore the makeup she had previously put on, but she tied her hair back behind her and stuffed the lot of it back into her sack. Susan wore her favorite pink pajamas bottoms and matching top; she added her blue fuzzy robe and laughed at herself in the mirror. She looked ridiculous, but she'd rather change here than in the dark corridor.

Susan left the bathroom, tucking her wand into the front pocket of her robe to find Blaise waiting for her. "Are you ready?" he asked looking at her with those dark eyes.

Susan nodded as he approached and took her pack, "Thanks for dinner," Susan smiled up at him noticing the change as he became the cold Slytherin once more.

"You're welcome," he replied taking up his lantern and his wand. "Remember, be quiet."

Blaise led them back through the secret corridors to the first break where they would have to dodge through one of the dungeons. As they approached it, they could hear a scuffle behind the wall, "Stay here," he hissed leaving Susan's pack and his own lantern on the ground.

Blaise dodged out into the dark corridor where Susan could make out a number of bodies gathered around something lieing on the floor. Blaise walked up to them, his wand out of site, "Is there a problem here?"

Crabbe, Goyle and a few fifth years that Susan didn't recognize turned at the sound of his voice. The person lying on the floor didn't move, "Nothing for a stinkin' prat like you. I suggest you move along before one of the Prefects comes along and catches you out after hours."

Crabbe cracked his knuckles menacingly and Susan drew her wand, careful to stay out of sight until she was needed.

"I'll just be taking Gavin with me then," Blaise replied gesturing to the body on the ground.

"No," Crabbe sneered, "He's with us."

"He's coming with me," Blaise replied coldly still not reaching for his wand. Susan stepped out of the corridor and edged along the wall, careful to stay out of the light of the single torch that lit the hallway.

Crabbe took the first swing, and Blaise ducked under it delivering a hard punch up into his stomach for his effort. Blaise's second swing connected with one of the fifth year's rather large nose and sent the skinny boy back clearing the space for Crabbe and Goyle to come after him. Goyle was lucky and took advantage of Blaise's distraction to deliver a right hook straight into Blaise's jaw. Blaise staggered from the swing, but kept his feet.

Crabbe moved into follow through with a second punch, but Susan stopped him, "Petrificus Totalus," she spoke calmly causing the brute to freeze in place.

Blaise took a second swing at Goyle, forcing him back before pulling his wand, "Expelliarmus!" Goyle took the spell full in the chest and flew back knocking over the other three.

"Leave," Blaise demanded coldly looking over at Susan as she stepped into the torchlight still dressed in her nightclothes.

"Ah," the fifth year with the broken nose crowed as they all regained their feet once more. "Is this your new flavor of the month? What did your Mum and Dad decide they needed to buy some more influence into the Ministry of Magic? Or is it that she's one terrific shag?"

Susan turned white, "You've got it all wrong," she whispered. Susan balled up her fist and punched the prat's overly large nose once more. He jerked back, blood running down his face as he pulled his wand on her. "Do it," Susan hissed.

Blaise's hand pulled her back, "As I said before, it is time for you all to leave. Or do I have to let my girlfriend teach you a lesson in manners? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone how five Slytherins were taken down by one Hufflepuff girl."

Goyle growled at them, but Blaise kept his wand pointed at the group and his other hand firmly on Susan's shoulder. Finally, Goyle jerked his head and the group of them turned around and walked away from them back down the Hall.

"Enervate," Blaise countered Susan's jinx on Crabbe. "I suggest you go with them."

Crabbe followed the others as Susan and Blaise looked at one another. "Lumos," Susan cast with her wand inspecting the rapidly forming bruise along his jaw. "That looks like it hurts."

Blaise shook his head and walked over to the fallen Slytherin, "It was Gavin."

Susan knelt next to Blaise as he rolled Gavin onto his back, "How bad?"

Gavin tried to smiled, but his split, swollen lip and his bruised eyes turned it into a grimace, "Ribs," he hissed. "They surprised me."

Blaise looked over at Susan, "I'm not very good with healing charms."

Susan ignored him, feeling around on Gavin's chest and watching his face for a reaction, "At least three cracked, but nothing terrible to fix. Madame Pomfrey has something to treat those."

"We can't take him to the Hospital Wing again, Susan," Blaise replied.

Susan frowned looking to Blaise when Gavin interrupted, "Wait, Susan? Susan Bones? What are you doing down here again?"

"Another time," Blaise snapped. "We need to get you back to the Common Room. Where's Jerod?"

"Behind you Blasie, with the calvary," Jerod announced. "I see you brought your own though."

Blaise and Susan turned to find Jerod, Caleb and three more Slytherins standing behind them. A seventh year girl stepped around to Gavin's other side. The girl, Susan didn't know her name, checked Gavin as well. "Three cracked ribs and bruising," she spoke aloud looking to Blaise. "It could have been worse."

Blaise rose to his feet, dragging Susan along with him, "Take him back to the Common Room and get him patched up."

The Slytherins nodded and Blaise continued, "Anything else?"

The girl kneeling next to Gavin added, "Blaise, we haven't seen Daphne all night."

"I'll find her," Blaise snapped. "Get back to the Common Room and make sure everyone is reminded of their duties."

"And the Hufflepuff?" one of the group asked.

Blaise looked over at Susan and noticed his grip still on her arm, "Won't say anything."

Satisfied, the Slytherins moved to help Gavin back to the Common Room and left Blaise and Susan alone. Blaise held her arm for the entire time, but when he looked at her, Susan knew he was angry.

"Why couldn't you listen?" Blaise whispered as he pulled her back along the corridors.

"I wasn't about to let you fight them alone," Susan replied annoyed.

They walked a time in silence, neither wanting to start the argument they sensed was coming. It was Susan though that broke the silence, "Don't you think you should have asked me?"

Blaise stopped, turning back to face her, he swung his lantern up so that he could see her face, "Asked you what?"

"You told them I was your girlfriend," she replied with a smile and then kissed Blaise, hard.

Blaise's anger melted away as he remembered earlier in the evening. He wrapped his arms around her and ignored the pain shooting up his jaw line as he kissed her for all he was worth. Eventually they pulled apart and Blaise murmured, "Damn woman, will you try to make more sense?"

Susan just smiled up at him and kissed his cheek, "You really can be thoughtful, if you want to be."

Blaise took Susan's hand with a shake of his head and continued back towards her Common Room, "They all ready saw you in your nightclothes. There was little point pretending after that."

Susan blushed, but said nothing as they finally reached the deserted Hufflepuff Common Room. Susan and Blaise stopped in front of the door and neither seemed to know what to say to summarize the evening.

Again it was Susan to speak first, as she took her pack back from Blaise, "Don't worry about defining everything. We'll just figure it out as we go, OK?"

Blaise frowned down at her, "Good night, Susan."

"Good night," she replied walking back into her Common Room and up the stairs to her own bed, certain she wouldn't sleep the rest of the night.

The sunlight streaming in from the window pulled Hermione from her dreams. Blinking against the glare, she sat up and glanced around the unfamiliar bedroom. It only took her a moment to register where she was and why there was a lion laying at her feet.

Reaching her hand out she ran her fingers through Ron's mane and she smiled to herself. She felt Ron shift and then in a blink of an eye he shimmered and his expressive face was smiling up at her.

"Good morning, did you sleep well?"

Ron nodded and then stretched with several resulting cracks and snaps.

"I wish you didn't have to change for us to share a bed like this," Hermione told him.

Ron smiled at her with a twinkle in his eye. "Well, I just wanted you to be comfortable. I thought you might not be sure I could be trusted to keep my hands to myself."

Hermione flushed bright red and coughed, "Honestly Ron, the reason I wanted you to change was that I didn't trust myself to keep my hands off of you."

"Really?" he asked beaming.

Hermione nodded shyly, "I know we aren't ready for that sort of thing," her voice dropped to a whisper, "but that doesn't mean I don't want to."

Ron swallowed hard and nodded as he valiantly tried to ignore the fact that he and Hermione were alone in their cottage with a very comfortable bed and plenty of time.

Hermione eyes grew wide as she figured out what he was thinking about and then she chuckled. "You Weasleys are a randy lot aren't you?"

"You have no idea luv, no idea."

Hermione could see Ron's eyes darken and the set of his jaw told her that he was going to reach for her any moment. As much as she was greatly tempted, she knew that things would go to far to fast if she gave into her desires. So, with a slight sigh of regret, she held her hands out to stop him and gently reminded him. "We need to get back before anyone know we're gone."

Ron stoped and gave her his "I'm trying to be charming so you'll do what I want grin" and then in a purring tone told her, "We still have plenty of time luv."

Even as his smile make her belly feel all warm and fluid, Hermione shook her head and spoke to him sharply. "We can't stay Ron. If we get caught it will be that much harder to sneak out here the next time. So let's get going and keep your hands to yourself until we get back to the castle."

Blaise walked back through the corridors towards the Room of Requirement. At 3 a.m., there were only about two places where Daphne preferred to take in a quick snog with some random bloke. Blaise checked the secret cubby hole next the kitchens and found no one.

He started walking towards the Room of Requirement and his mind went over his date with Susan once again. He had enjoyed himself. The realization surprised him. Truly, when she had walked back into the room in her nightclothes Blaise had been tempted to tell her to stay. Then he could have walked her back into his bedroom and finished what they had only just started on the couch earlier. Shaking his head to stop those thoughts before they became "inconvenient," he stopped before the door to the Room of Requirement. Someone was in there.

Blaise waited, debating whether to interrupt or not when the door opened. Blaise ducked quickly back around the corner and watched as Daphne and Seamus, both looking rather ruffled, came into view, locked at the lips. Blaise watched Seamus run his hands over Daphne as they pulled apart.

"Lass, that was fantastic," Seamus smiled down at Daphne and Blaise rolled his eyes.

Daphne shook her head and smiled, "Did you have a doubt?"

"Nah, I was just a wee bit surprised," Seamus replied. "I thought I was in for one lonely night, being kicked out my room and all."

"Ah the sacrifice," Daphne replied wrapping her arms around Seamus once more and kissing him again. Blaise desperately wanted to leave, but couldn't without waiting for her. Thus, he turned around, but he still heard every word and sound they made.

They broke for air a little while later, "I need to go," Daphne's voice was low.

"Wait," Seamus stopped her. "So, you want to meet me out by the lake, say Tuesday night?"

Blaise groaned mentally. He could have been in his own bed with Susan. What in Merlin's name was he doing here, his jaw throbbed while he groaned? Some days, he yearned for the time before Daphne had dragged him into the school problems.

Daphne replied, "Perhaps, if you can hold to our agreement."

Seamus chuckled, "Lass, I'll keep our little secret. Provided you show up on Tuesday."

Blaise quirked an eyebrow, she wanted to keep it a secret?

"I'll be there," Daphne replied. "It's hard enough finding a decent snog around this place."

"Tuesday then," Seamus spoke up and Blaise thought he heard the sound of another kiss.

"Tuesday," Daphne replied.

Blaise waited as he listened to the sound of Seamus' footsteps walking away. Daphne's own headed towards him and Blaise waited until she had walked by his hiding place to stop her.

"You agreed," he frowned stepping out into the hallway.

"I was bored," Daphne shot back, if she had been surprised, she hid it quickly.

"Finnigan?" Blaise asked as they started back towards the dungeons.

"Susan Bones?" she returned.

Blaise frowned, but decided to let the subject drop, it must be an Irish thing. Blaise continued, "We had another incident this evening."

Blaise recounted the events from the end of his date with Susan through the scene in the hall and Susan's part in the event. He also made sure to note that people had noticed that she had been gone as well.

Daphne snorted, "So, everyone saw Susan Bones in her robe after she broke his nose and you claimed she was your girlfriend. Well, at least your temperaments are similar. I wish I had been there. I would have done more than bloodied his face."

Blaise rubbed his sore jaw, "They injured Gavin before we got to him."

"I am sure Celeste was able to take care of him," Daphne replied as they walked into the dungeons.

Blaise drew his wand, but kept it and his arm carefully out of view under his cloak as they walked towards the Common Room. "She was, but the fact that the violence is continuing disturbs me. It was Gavin against five others. They are singly us out."

Daphne stopped and looked up at Blaise, "Bones is wearing off on you, Zambini. I'm surprised you care so much."

Blaise turned away from her, but Daphne stopped him, "It was a compliment, Blaise. It's late and we both need some sleep. We'll just have to figure out the next step in the morning. It may end up that someone is going to have to challenge Malfoy one on one."

Blaise looked back down at her, "I hoped it wouldn't come to that."


	76. Chapter 76

Ron and Hermione has a much easier time sneaking back into Hogwarts than even they had suspected. Hermione has been more reluctant than normal to let Ron go back up into the boy dormitory and Ron had enjoyed it far more than he should have. So, as he opened the door back to the sixth years' dorm, he had a huge smile on his face that was mirrored in all the others. Even Harry seemed a bit more chipper than usual.

"Just what put you in such a good mood?" Ron asked with a frown dumping his bag onto his bed.

Harry jumped at the tone in his voice, but managed to reply, "Just had a good night is all."

"Better not have been too good a night with my little sister, you prat," Ron answered half in jest and half in earnest.

Harry relaxed as he heard the teasing tone, but even under that he could still hear the warning Ron felt obligated to give him, "You know that I would never..."

Ron held up his hand to forestall Harry, "I know mate, I just had to say it."

Harry nodded and they both paused for a minute, neither really wanting to discuss the details of their previous night's escapades. Finally, Harry rose and slapped Ron on the back, "Well I don't know about you, but I'm starved. Let's go eat."

Hermione twisted her hands in her lap as she looked at Ginny and Lavender, "We need to have the circle meet tonight."

"Why tonight?" Ginny asked curiously.

"I want to try using the Circle to start making a new potion. It will take a while to get it right, so I want to start as soon as possible."

"Okay, Hermione. Do you want me to tell everyone else?" Ginny asked.

Hermione nodded and then turned to Lavender, "You know I think Divination is rubbish, but can you do a reading this afternoon to see if you can see any trouble?"

Lavender nodded, "I'll go cleanse my cards and then meditate to get my mind in the right state. Come to think of it, I'll get Susan to do one as well. It can't hurt for both of us to do them."

Both Ginny and Lavender got up and headed down stairs to get started. Hermione reached into her nightstand and pulled out one of the sweets she kept there for when she was going to skip dinner. Then she pulled the Old magic tome from her book bag and opened it to a well-marked page. She paused for a moment before starting to read and looked out the window, "Forgive me Ron, but it's for your own good."

For the next several hours Hermione scratched and discarded several diagrams pausing only to flip open the book. Finally, she was satisfied with the outcome. Closing the book, she carefully placed the parchment into her bag and then reach over to open one of the nightstand drawers. Reaching into the drawer she pulled out the necklace Ron had given her at the beginning of the year. It seemed so long ago and it saddened her to think she was going to use two of his gifts for such a purpose. Nevertheless, her resolve never wavered.

_The link the necklace helps to form will make the spell stronger._

With a frown, she placed the necklace around her neck and felt the comforting warmth that let her know Ron was safe.

Noticing it was almost time for dinner, Hermione headed down to the common room to find Harry and Ron. Harry was easy enough to find. He was sitting in front of the fire, flirting shamelessly with Ginny, "Shall we go down to dinner?"

Harry and Ginny looked up at her, "Sure, I'm feeling a bit hungry myself," Ginny answered.

"We should wait for Ron though," Hermione noted.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other and Harry whispered, "Ron had to go to one of his _meetings_."

Hermione paled but managed to keep her voice steady, "Did he say when he would be back?"

Harry just shook his head and mirrored Hermione's concern.

From the moment Fury had gotten the summons to Castle Galliard, a feeling of dread had settled over him. Normally important Order events were planned well in advance and, as such, the emergency method was not needed to gather everyone. Today though, he had been thinking of nothing more than spending a bit of time with Hermione and a bit of time playing Quidditch the championship was a mere two weeks away and Ron was determined to win. That all changed when the call came and he had gotten to the Chapter House as quickly as possible. Val had beaten him there, but knew nothing more than he did.

A group of older knights stood off in one corner of the great hall and after a few minutes of heated discussion, Talon broke free from the group and motioned for quiet. As Ron looked at him, he seemed worried, but still spoke as strong as he ever had, "We have gathered a piece of extraordinary information about a large meeting of Death Eaters which will commence in a few hours. This will be our first opportunity to truly damage the growing Death Eater network and we will have the chance lay our hands on several senior members who might be persuaded to give us the information we desire."

Talon paused and the room erupted in nervous chatter. He raised his hand for silence, but had to clear his throat loudly to get everyone's attention again. "We will be making a massive strike against the enemy. As such, we will be using every Knight team we have at our disposal. We will need to hit the Death Eaters fast and hard. When we get everyone their assignments you will need to memorize them and then destroy that paper so if you are captured you can't give the plan away. This will be the largest undertaking the Order has ever mounted so attention to detail is critical. Now go to your rooms and wait for your assignments to be delivered."

"That's it?" a voice nearby commented as Talon walked back to the group of men.

"Hush, we'll find out what we need to know," another answered back in reply.

Fury looked down at Val and saw that she had heard the same thing. She shrugged and moved towards the doors with Fury following close behind. They made their way to Fury's room through the throngs of people attempting to move about the Chapter House. Everyone seemed to sense the same enormity of what was planned. Once they were clear of the swirling mass of bodies, Fury looked at Val and could see concerned etched on her face.

_Is she worried about committing all of our force on the attack and not keeping a reserve?_

Ron stayed quiet about his concerns as they walked through the Halls. No one spoke to them as they passed, the mood seemed almost pensive as the Chapter followed Talon's directive. As soon as the door to his room was closed behind them, Val turned to face him with a scowl, "Has Talon gone mad? If this doesn't go just right we could be in a huge mess with a force this size. The logistics of it must be staggering alone."

Fury nodded silently not surprised that she had noticed the same thing, "I just wish we knew more of what was happening."

Val shrugged as she plopped down in the only chair in the room, "And now my favorite part—the waiting."

Fury did not follow suit, but instead began pacing the room, as he pondered the possible scenarios. A short time later, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Fury called, instantly on the alert.

The door opened and a page, no older that a Hogwarts firsty, came in and silently handed Ron an envelope. Then with an envious look on his face the page called out, "Good Luck!" as he left the room with a bow.

Fury tore open the envelope and looked inside. He withdrew a single sheet of parchment and read it quickly. Then passed it over to Val who scanned the page and then glanced up at Fury in shock, "So we're going in with the main attack force? Are they mad or deperate?"

"It certainly looks that way," Fury replied. "They have made arrangements knowing we can't apparate yet. We will portkey to the attack group and each of us is getting their own portkey as a back up in the event we get separated."

Val threw the paper into the fire, "That's going to a lot of trouble to get the two of us to the fight, isn't it?"

Fury nodded and resumed pacing, "They must really need this attack to be overwhelming. Talon has got to be worried about numbers to go to all of that trouble."

"We need information," Val replied. "Numbers, location, everything is supposition at this point."

Fury didn't reply, but continued pacing as he let his mind race with the possibilities. Then one thought occurred to him, "What if this is a trap?"

Val blinked with surprise, "I am sure Tallon would have done an extremely thorough examination before directing our entire Chapter into an engagement of this size."

"Right, of course," Fury nodded, but still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with the situation.

Val only nodded and watched Fury pace for a time. At length she rose to her feet and motioned for Fury to stop, "We're not going to figure this out tonight. We should try and get some rest before we go. We have several hours still correct?"

"Yep we should. You want to just crash here or go back to your room?"

Val raised an eyebrow at Fury and smiled, "I said get some rest, Fury."

Fury blushed, though he knew Val was only teasing, "This bed is big enough for two and you know as well as I do that nothing is going to happen even if it were the smallest bed in the world."

Val laughed and then nodded, "If it's all the same to you, I'll stay here. Let's just not mention this to Granger."

Fury only nodded and chuckled himself, "Agreed." He stretched out on a small slice of the bed as Val took the other side and soon both of them were tossing in semi-conscious sleep.

What seemed like only a few minutes later, there was a knock on the door and a high pitched voice called out, "Thirty minutes to muster!"

Val sat up quickly and chuckled at Fury looking around bleary eyed and running his hand through his hair, "I bet Granger isn't looking forward to seeing that every morning."

Fury tossed a pillow at Val, "Speak for yourself."

Dinner was the normal weekend affair, their group having gathered before them. Lavendar, Parvati, Dean and Seamus, Neville, Luna and Susan were all talking together as they entered the Hall. They made room for the three of them, but it was Susan that motioned for Hermione to sit next to her.

"You know, I think I like our emphasis on mixing with other houses," Seamus said aloud. "Even that Zabini character isn't so bad."

"You mean, Daphne Greengrass, more like," Dean snickered. "Speaking of, where is she? I see Zabini over there, but not her and they are stuck together at the hip."

Susan and Hermione looked over to where Blaise sat surrounded by Gavin and a number of the other Slytherins. He noticed their look, and nodded once in acknowledgement before turning back to the others."

"She must have eaten earlier," Harry suggested. "So, how was everyone's evening?"

As the group turned their attentions once more, Susan looked over to Hermione, "What is going on?"

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked. "What did you find out with your readings?"

"The Fool reversed," Lavendar answered. "We both did it and came out with the same."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked surprised.

"You should tell us. You're worried about Ron," Susan supplied.

"Five of Cups," Lavendar supplied.

"You're up to something and it does not look like it has a good ending," Susan continued.

"Ace of Swords, reversed, caution when trying to use power to gain an ending. There will be obstacles that are unknown," Lavender continued.

Hermione looked from one to the other, exacerbated with the two of them speaking in code, "What is the Fool reversed?"

"The final outcome of whatever it is you intend to do," Susan replied. "Hermione, the cards warn of caution. The Fool reversed represents a faulty choice or a bad decision."

Hermione looked from one to the other, "I should never have asked you to do a reading. It's all rubbish. Everything will work just as I planned." She ignored the girls sitting beside her and touched the necklace again, Ron was worried, and she felt it.

Susan watched her friend and frowned. Lavendar seemed to agree. Neither had mentioned what Susan had seen in the cards for Ron. The Wheel of Fortune reversed, something bad was about to happen to Ron and Susan couldn't help but expect that Hermione knew about it. Ginny most certainly had when they had told her.

Susan chanced a glance back over to the Slytherin table and caught Blaise's eye. He signaled he would meet her out in the Hall and she nodded, for some reason she wanted to be near someone that made her feel safe. The cards had scared her, but Ginny had told them to remain silent. They had all recognized that Hermione was becoming more and more desperate to control the inevitable and Ginny most of all worried what that could mean or what lengths she would go.

Hermione watched Susan leave the table, obviously unhappy with her, but she would apologize later. Right now, she had to focus on finishing the spell before something else could go wrong or what they saw could possibly come true.

Blaise met Susan at the end of the Hall, and Hermione watched the proud Slytherin hold the door open for the Hufflepuff, it seems they had all had a good night.

Fury and Val headed to the meeting chamber and quickly gathered their assigned Portkeys. As soon as they did they lined up and went over their instructions on final times and other Knight teams did the same all around them. The noise slowly wound down as the attack time drew closer. Finally Talon stood in front of all of them and smiled. "In just a few moments we will begin the largest operation the Order has ever undertaken. It is a credit to all of you that we are attempting such a huge effort. If we all do our part we can strike a huge blow to the Death Eaters abilities to organize and recruit new members."

Talon paused to look out over he assembled teams "Everyone get to your places. We leave in five minutes,"

A fierce scramble ensued as teams moved into their spots and prepared to Apparate.

Talon strode over to Fury and Val. "Since you two have to Portkey in I want you to do so exactly one minute after we all apparate. We you do I want you to act as my wingmen and stay with me at all times unless I tell you otherwise."

Fury and Val both nodded and then silence descended on the room. A minute later dozens of popping sounds erupted all over the room and then Fury and Val were alone in the cavernous hall. Fury looked at Val as both of them silently counted out the sixty second before they were supposed to activate the Portkey.

"Ready?" Fury asked.

Val nodded and then Fury felt the tugging sensation in the pit of his stomach. Just when he thought he couldn't bear it anymore it vanished and he found himself looking Val as the room came into focus.

"Over here you two."

Val and Fury ran over to where Talon seemed to be looking at something in his hand. When Fury got over to his side he saw him holding a small mirror and in it he could see someone else face in it.

Talon looked worried and Fury started to ask why when Talon started talking to himself. "They were supposed to be meeting in the dungeons. If they are there and they aren't on the first floor where are they?"

Talon walked a few feet and then looked into the mirror again "Jinx, do you see anything out there?"

Talon gazed into the mirror and waited but no response came. "Jinx, what's going on out there? Can you hear me?"

Fury looked at Val who looked very uncomfortable and then back to Talon. "Talon I think maybe we need to get everyone to fall back to here and regroup."

Talon looked at Fury and then shook his head "He have them trapped, now we just have to find them,"

Fury wanted to comment about not having someone trapped if you didn't know where they were but he was prevented by the blood curdling scream that issued from the mirror Talon was holding and then a moment later the mirror shattered.

A moment later the sounds of a furious spell battle erupted from down one of the side corridors and Talon ran that way with Fury and Val hot on his heels.

A compelling voice rose above the din of the battle and even from a distance Ron could recognize the sultry tones he had heard once before on the Hogwarts grounds. Bellatrix Lestrange was leading the enemy forces and Fury didn't like it one little bit.

Hermione and Ginny met in the Common Room and using Harry's Invisibility Cloak left for the Circle. Ron's nervousness had dissipated a while ago and right now Hermione was almost certain that he was sleeping.

Ginny seemed pensive as they walked outside, but Hermione's own concerns were weighing down on her. Would Ginny hate her after this was all said and done? Would she see why Hermione was taking such a drastic action?

"What did you think of Lavender and Susan's predictions?" Hermione asked of a sudden as she spied the other girls climbing the hill nearby.

Ginny looked towards her with some trepidation, "They said you are about to make a mistake."

Hermione looked to the other girl, "Do you think that is true?"

Ginny paused, uncertain of how to respond, "Hermione, you've been acting very strangely and secretive as of late, even for you. Are you sure you know what you are doing?"

Hermione nodded, "I know what I am doing. Divination is silly rubbish."

"Silly rubbish," Ginny echoed. "You're wearing the necklace Ron gave you, right? The one that tells you how he is."

"Sure," Hermione replied. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Ginny replied looking to the older girl. "Let's just get this over with."

"Ginny," Hermione stopped her, sensing something was different about her, but she was not able to place what. "What did you and Harry end up doing last night?"

Ginny blinked with surprise and then blushed at the unexpected question, "Nothing."

Hermione looked with some curiosity as the girl walked away towards Luna, leaving Hermione alone.

The girls filed into their positions and looked towards her, expectant and Hermione fought her own sense of dread. She wasn't making a mistake. She had to do this, for Ron. This was all for Ron.

Hermione began by once again calling the corners, she was serving as both North and Center. As the power of the Circle filled her once more, she was amazed at the strength she felt. If anything, it seemed each use brought more strength to their group. Hermione felt the individual presences of the girls about her, but even as each one was distinct they tended to blend together into one swirling mass of power.

The wind kicked up blowing their hair about their faces making Hermione wonder if the other girls could hear her over the rush in her ears.

"Our Circle is sacred. We place upon ourselves a spell of secrecy that we will not repeat that which occurs here outside of ourselves. We protect ourselves and our knowledge," she called out to the Circle.

"We protect the North," Hermione continued.

"The South," Ginny responded.

"The East," Susan added.

Luna finished, "And the West."

"That none shall know what has passed outside our Circle," Hermione finished as Center.

"We commit ourselves to the Circle," the women repeated. Hermione heard their voices more in her mind than above the sound of the wind. She felt their presence and she felt their concern. However, above that she heard the sincerity. The spell that bound them altogether strengthened even more. But amidst the confusion, Ginny, Susan and Lavendar all still had their doubts. It was a darkness that Hermione recognized, but could not help. The others were surprised, but undaunted as they had all committed and Hermione was determined to see this through to the end. They would not speak of what she was about to do.

"We place a spell of binding on one that has lost control. We call upon the power of the Cauldron and of the link between to hold him that he will follow our will. The warrior will return in safety, whether it be by his will or our will alone."

"By the powers of the North, that logic will rule him," Hermione continued reciting Daphne's line.

"By the passions of the South, that the warrior will be calmed," Ginny's voice called out.

"That the strength of the East overpower him," Susan continued.

"That the innocence of the warrior be not destroyed," Luna finished.

"We bind the warrior through the link to obey us. To obey the will of that which he is bound," Hermione continued reciting from her revised spell.

"We bind the warrior; he shall obey," Hermione continued once again from the north.

"We bind the warrior, with our love to repay," Ginny recited.

"We bind the warrior, with bonds of pure strength," Susan continued.

"We bind the warrior, his purity and safety to retain," Luna finished.

"We bind him, that our Circle will be maintained," they finished as one. The necklace about Hermione's neck heated to the point where she was sure that she would be burned, but then it subsided and the wind died down. As the link between them began to diminish Hermione recognized that three of them knew what she had done, the others were only confused as to its purpose. Full dark had fallen and six females faced her in various states of anger or concern.

Fury and Val headed to the meeting chamber and quickly gathered their assigned Portkeys. Afterwards, they lined up and went over their instructions one final time with the other Knight teams all around them. The noise slowly wound down as the attack time drew closer.

Finally, Talon stood in front of all of them and smiled, "In just a few moments we will begin the largest operation the Order has ever undertaken. It is a credit to all of you that we are attempting such a huge effort. If we all do our part we can strike a huge blow to the Death Eaters abilities to organize and recruit new members."

Talon paused to look out over he assembled teams, "Everyone get to your places. We leave in five minutes."

A fierce scramble ensued as teams moved into their spots and prepared to Apparate.

Talon strode over to Fury and Val, "Since you two have to Portkey in, I want you to do so exactly one minute after we all apparate. I want you to act as my wingmen and stay with me at all times, unless I tell you otherwise."

Fury and Val both nodded and then silence descended on the room. A minute later dozens of popping sounds erupted and then Fury and Val were alone in the cavernous hall. Fury looked at Val as both of them silently counted out the sixty seconds before they were supposed to activate the Portkey.

"Ready?" Fury asked.

Val nodded and then Fury felt the tugging sensation in the pit of his stomach. Just when he thought he couldn't bear it anymore it vanished and he found himself looking Val as the room came into focus.

"Over here you two," Talon's voice beckoned them over.

Val and Fury ran over to where Talon seemed to be looking at something in his hand. When Fury got over to his side, he saw him holding a small mirror and in it he could see someone else's face in it.

Talon looked worried and Fury started to ask why, when Talon started talking to himself, "They were supposed to be meeting in the dungeons. If they aren't there and they aren't on the first floor where are they?"

Talon walked a few feet and then looked into the mirror again, "Jinx, do you see anything out there?"

Talon gazed into the mirror and waited but no response came, "Jinx, what's going on out there? Can you hear me?"

Fury looked at Val who looked very uncomfortable and then back to Talon, "Talon I think maybe we need to get everyone to fall back here and regroup."

Talon looked at Fury and then shook his head, "We have them trapped, now we just have to find them."

Fury wanted to comment about not having someone trapped if you didn't know where they were, but he was prevented by the blood curdling scream that issued from the mirror Talon was holding. A moment later, the mirror shattered.

The sounds of a furious spell battle erupted from down one of the side corridors and Talon ran that way with Fury and Val hot on his heels.

A compelling voice rose above the din of the battle and even from a distance Ron could recognize the sultry tones he had heard once before on the Hogwarts grounds. Bellatrix Lestrange was leading the enemy forces and Fury didn't like it one little bit.

The blast shook the entire building and several Order member where thrown backwards from the passageway. Before Fury could get his bearings, Death eaters started to move through the cloud of dust thrown into the air and began to throw curses at the rest of the Knights.

Val had conjured a shield before any of the spells could hit home and Fury managed to take out the lead Death Eater with a simply, "Stupefy."

Talon lead them back in the room while Fury moved behind one of the ornate columns and set himself. Seeing multiple Death Eaters now in the great room he focused his anger and shouted "Fuarte Manus!" He felt the force build and then burst from his wand with a roar. The boiling mass of heat churned towards the Death Eaters and Fury was certain that it was going to devastate them.

Then a cool voice lifted above the noise, "Protego Luminarious!" and a glowing silver shield positioned itself in front of the Death Eaters. The ball of heat from Fury's wand slammed into the shield with a high pitched crackling sound and Fury was certain that the shield would break when the mass of heat shuddered and winked out of existence.

Fury dodged a curse and then screamed in anger as Talon was struck with the killing curse. As he moved to his left he heard the unmistakable voice of Dolohov sneer, "Diffindo" and Ron turned to see Val's chest erupt in a fountain of blood.

Fury scrambled to Val's side and fumbled at the belt of her robes. With a twist, he activated her Portkey and she vanished in an instant. Then he rolled to his right over the spot where Val had just been and reached for his Portkey only to find it missing.

Fury swore and dove again bring his wand up, "Diffindo!" he yelled and one of the Death Eaters dropped to the ground clutching his throat. Taking a chance and not moving, he brought his wand around and used the cutting curse again to rip open the chest of the closest Death Eater. He crouched to move again, when lancing pain shot through his body and he knew vaguely that he was screaming but he couldn't really tell what.

Still he managed point his wand in a random direction and scream, "Fuarte Manus!" once more. This time his screams were joined with several others as heat and flame seemed to wash over the entire room. As he lay on the floor gasping and trying to stay conscious, the last thing he heard before passing out was the soft sound of laughter and an admiring voice say almost tenderly, "Well done."

"Do you want to tell me what that was about?" Ginny screeched, as she approached from the otherside of the circle. "Did we just do what I think we did?"

Hermione looked at the young red head and realized that she had better separate Ginny from the others before more people ended up angry.

"Ginny, let's go for a walk and let me explain," she tried in a vain hope to head off the girl's anger.

"Hermione," Susan stood beside her, a frown creasing her face. Susan, who never got upset at anyone, was also voicing her displeasure. "I thought you trusted us."

"She loves him," Luna's voice piped up to Hermione's defense.

"You didn't listen to us," Lavender added. "The Fool reversed, we told you. We warned you."

Hermione shook her head, "It's done now. What do you want me to say? Do any of you truly believe he was giving me an option with this?"

"You should have told us," Susan replied.

"You shouldn't have done it. He trusts you. You ought to do the same for him," Ginny added.

"After what he's done? How many times has he been in the hospital this year? Even since Christmas? How many foolish escapades can I ignore? How many times can one person survive?" she argued.

"We have to stop this," Ginny snapped. "You need to tell Ron, Hermione, instead of making this decision for him."

A sudden sharp pain through the necklace stopped her before she could reply. Hermione fell to her knees, her eyes filling instantly with tears. Something was wrong.

"Ron," she gasped as Susan hauled her to her feet.

"We need to get her back to your Common Room," Susan ignored her and looked towards Ginny. "You can continue to yell at her later, but if I'm right we can shatter that necklace of hers and break the link. Does that satisfy you?"

Ginny nodded once, sharply.

Susan though only muttered, "Wheel of Fortune, reversed. . . where is Ron? We must find him. He's in danger."

The seven girls managed to get Hermione back to the castle, but instead of returning to the Common Room, they chose the Room of Requirement. As Susan paced outside the door, her thoughts turned back to Neville and Blaise. They needed the group together and they needed it fast. Something large was happening and Susan could not help but worry that they were all too late.

At last, the door opened to find a cheery fire and couches for the girls. Leaving Hermione with Luna and the rest, Ginny and Susan walked away from the others.

"Where is Ron?" Susan demanded.

"He's been gone since breakfast," Ginny replied. "Daphne as well."

Susan saw an inkwell nearby and taking the rolled piece of parchment from her pocket, she scrawled a note to Blaise, "Get Harry and Neville and meet us in the Room of Requirement. We need you."

Ginny watched as the blond girl flipped the paper over and waited before the words reappeared in an elegant man's hand, "Very well."

Susan glanced at Ginny as she stuffed the paper back into her robes, "Let's get the others out of here and once the boys arrive you all have some explaining to do."

Lavendar, Parvati and Padma left them at Susan's suggestion and the four girls sat down upon the couches. Luna sitting with Hermione, holding her hand. Ginny and Susan sat opposite and definitely no one was happy.

"What do you feel?" Ginny asked. "What's going on?"

Hermione shook her head, her eyes welling with tears, "It's over. I can't feel him anymore."

"What does that mean?" Susan asked.

"That he's unconscious, in deep sleep, or dead," Hermione replied her face growing even paler.

"I'm sure he just hit his head," Luna tried comforting her. "You know how rough boys can play."

Ginny and Hermione looked to each other, they hadn't mentioned anything of Ron's other activities, and it was better left that way for now.

The door swung open to reveal Blaise, Harry and Neville entering the room. "Did you know that Blaise has found a way into the Gryffindor tower?" Neville asked as he walked up behind Luna and dropped a kiss on the top of her hair. "He just about scared me to death!"

Harry moved around the couch and took one look at the girls' faces, "What's going on here?"

Blaise walked around the other side and Susan stood and smiled at him, "I'm sorry about this."

He shook his head and looked around the room, "I'm with Potter. What's the problem?"

"Blaise," Hermione answered looking up to the dark Slytherin, "Have you heard from Daphne today?"

"No," Blaise replied.

"Something's gone wrong," Hermione told him and looked to Harry. "I was wearing the necklace Ron gave me today and I felt it. He's been hurt and now," she took a deep breath, "I don't feel anything."

Ginny opened her mouth to try to reply, but no sound came out. "Hermione!" she growled as dawning crossed her face. Hermione had bound them to silence other than with other members of the Circle in regards to the spell.

"Remember the reading I told you about?" Susan asked Blaise turning back to him. "I think it happened. We need to find him."

"Dumbledore," Harry answered. "We need to tell Dumbledore. He'd have the most connections."

"Why isn't Ron on the grounds and where's Daphne?" Luna asked. "Are they somewhere together?"

The room grew quiet, but it was Harry that replied, "Yes, Luna. They were together."

"Look, Hermione," Harry said rising to his feet. "Why don't you and I go find Dumbledore. The rest of you, go back to the Common Rooms. There isn't anything we can do now, and we'll let you know when we find something."

"Blaise, did you want to come with us?" Hermione asked as she moved to her feet. Giving her something to do other than worry about Ron and her spell was a blessing in itself.

"No," Blaise replied, "I will take Susan back to her Common Room and then meet you back at Dumbledore's."

Dumbledore knew nothing more than any of the others, but as Hermione explained about the necklace and Susan's predictions he promised to look into it for them and would let them and Blaise know as soon as he had heard anything. Left with no other options, Harry and Hermione returned to the Common Room to find Ginny, Neville, and Luna all waiting for them.

"Nothing?" Ginny asked as they came in through the porthole.

"Not a thing," Harry added glumly sitting down next to her and throwing an arm over her shoulders.

Hermione stood looking at her friends and realized that she had had enough. "Look, I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you all in the morning."

Harry looked at her, "Are you going to be alright? We'll sit up with you for awhile if you want."

Hermione looked from one couple to the next. The last thing she wanted was to sit here and miss Ron with them. She just wanted to be alone, without the reminders. She trusted that Dumbledore would alert them is something happened and the necklace would let her know even before that. She had the fastest alert possible. The necklace would let her know long before Dumbledore would if things were OK, and if they weren't… she couldn't face that and she would be happy to wait to find out the bad news.

"No, I just want some sleep. Wake me if you hear something?" Hermione asked suddenly surprised, but she found she was tired.

"Sure," Harry agreed.

Hermione nodded and walked back up the stairs to the sixth year girl's dormitory. She went through her normal routine, brushed her hair, brushed her teeth and flossed, put on her pajamas and even got into bed, but when it was time to close her eyes—she couldn't. She spent that night staring at the top of her canopy and remembering, every second of every moment she had ever spent with him, every fight, every kiss, every nice thing he had ever done for her. She cried at one point or another, realizing later that her pillow was wet, but all she could do was think back on this year, on him, and how much she loved him.

The first rays of dawn found Hermione out of bed and dressed, with still no word from Dumbledore and nothing from the necklace to let her know he was OK. Hermione snuck upstairs and peered into the fifth year dorms to find Ginny's bed empty. Not surprised, Hermione went back down the stairs and found the Common Room empty. Restless, she kept going heading towards the Great Hall and hoping for breakfast soon. She picked up Ron's book to do more research, the familiar weight comforting to her, but she knew she wouldn't open it.

Reaching the Great Hall, she was surprised to come across Blaise coming up out of the dungeons and walking with long strides.

"Blaise!" Hermione called after the tall Slytherin. "What are you doing up?"

Blaise spun around and looked at her with some surprise, "They brought Daphne back. She's in the infirmary."

He kept walking and Hermione fell into step beside him, hopeful for the first time since the night before. Blaise said nothing to her, but kept walking until they reached the infirmary. He pushed open the door and allowed her to enter first. In the morning light only one bed was occupied and Hermione could see the blond hair and pale face and the bandages along her arms.

Blaise walked up to the foot of her bed, his cold face unreadable, but Daphne had to have heard our footsteps. She opened her eyes slowly and raised one hand out to Blaise, "Have they found him? They wouldn't tell me a thing."

Blaise held her hand, "Daphne, they only sent you back. No one has said a word about Ron."

Daphne looked from Blaise back over to Hermione, "It was awful. It was a trap, but one for us. I got hit and Ron got me out of there. I thought he was right behind me…"

She took a deep breath and let go of Blaise's hand, "Hermione, I don't know what to say."

Hermione stood there silent as the Slytherin opened her eyes once more. Hermione stopped feeling anything. Just looking at Daphne was enough to rip her heart to shreds, but instead, Hermione moved around the other side of Daphne's bed and pulled up a chair.

"He'll be fine. You know Ron. I'm sure he'll be back soon," Hermione spoke the words realizing that it was foolish to worry another person. "We'll just wait here until we get word."

Daphne opened her eyes once more and looked at Hermione closely, as if judging if she was telling the truth. She must have passed, because Daphne eventually settled down and went back to sleep. Blaise pulled up another chair and stayed, running a hand through his dark curls and staring out the window.

Left to her own thoughts, Hermione opened her book and began reading, waiting for signs of Ron and strangely comforted in the presence of the two Slytherins.

After an hour, Madame Pince had come to check on Daphne, but otherwise the Infirmary was silent. A large black owl flew up to the window and tapped on the pane looking to enter.

Blaise got up and let the owl enter where it promptly flew over to Hermione and dropped a parchment in her lap before flying back out the window. Blaise looked at her oddly, but Hermione shrugged removing the black ribbon and unrolling the paper.

_If you want him back, meet me out behind the Quiddich pitch and come alone. –B.L._

Hermione jumped up and ran out of the Hospital wing without saying a word. Her mind was racing and though she felt certain she knew who B.L. was, it didn't pay to jump to conclusions. In her haste to reach Ron she passed dozens of students all of whom were shocked to see a Gryffindor prefect running through the halls as if she were being chased.

Hermione flew out of the door and started up the hill towards the pitch as fast as her feet could carry her. In the back of her mind she wondered if she should have gone to Professor Dumbledore's office, but instantly discarded it as too risky. In a few moments she had reached the Pitch and was heading to the back closest to the forest. Logically, she knew that it was the most likely location intended by the Death Eater.

When she reached the eaves of the forest she halted and looked around. Seeing nothing for a moment she felt a sense of panic rise up in her.

_What if she was too late? What if Bellatrix had already left? Why couldn't she feel Ron?_

Hermione clenched her fists and willed he self to stop thinking such thoughts, when I cool clear voice broke the silence, "So you came, little girl. That was very brave of you."

Hermione turned to see Bellatrix step out of the forest ten or so feet from where Hermione had been standing. The Death Eater seemed much calmer than the last time Hermione had seen her in the Department of Mysteries. For some reason this made her seem much more dangerous than before.

"You are a quite impressive little girl for a Mudblood," Bellatrix drawled.

"Where is Ron?" Hermione demanded ignoring her snide comments.

"Oh, you will see him soon enough, but before I return him to you I wanted to let you know I have become quite fond of your Ron."

The words sent a chill through Hermione and she struggled to understand exactly what Bellatrix was getting at.

"He is quite brave and he comes from a fine pure blood family. Once he has worked out the _infatutation_ with Muggles, I'm certain he will see the value in maintaining the old ways. He already has a great respect for tradition."

"Ron won't ever get over his Muggle _infatuation, _if I have anything to say about it," Hermione sneered back at Bellatrix.

"Really?" Bellatrix smiled, "Because I am quite a skilled Legillimans, little girl, and I have seen just how _childish_ you relationship has been. He will be more than glad to have the attentions of a _woman_."

Hermione paled at that.

_Did this wicked BITCH think she would stand by and let her take Ron from her?_

"Why did you want to see me here, you harpy?" Hermione spit out through clenched teeth.

"He needs a healer and I can't very well take him to St. Mungo's, now can I?" Bellatrix laughed.

"How badly is he hurt?" Hermione asked as worry coursed through her.

"He will live with the right treatments," Bellatrix flicked her wand and a shadow rose from the forest.

When Ron's body settled at Hermione's feet, she gasped in horror. He was covered in bruises and several wounds on his face and torso. When she glanced in dismay at Bellatrix she was stunned to see the barest hint of regret on the older witch's face.

"The Dark Lord wanted him to be taught a lesson for his defiance."

Hermione leaned down and saw that he still was breathing, "I've got to get him to the Hospital wing."

Bellatrix nodded "Go then, and see to him. Then leave our world if you value your life."

Hermione looked up to respond, but Bellatrix had already vanished and Hermione had no time to waste looking for her.


	77. Chapter 77

As Hermione entered the Infirmary with Ron in tow, Madame Pomfrey had just finished examining Daphne and Blaise stood off in one corner with his usual bored expression.

As the school nurse saw Ron, she paled and directed Hermione to place him on one of the nearby beds before pulling a curtain about the area and blocking everyone's sight of the bruised and broken body of Ron.

"Where did you find him?" Daphne asked Hermione as she stood there, wringing her hands and waiting for Madame Pomfrey to tell her that he would be all right.

"Bellatrix Lestrange brought him back," Hermione replied not even looking at the blond girl.

Blaise and Daphne looked at each other a bit stunned, but no one said anything until once more the doors to the Infirmary banged open. Harry, Neville, and Susan all entered, dressed in their running clothes, "I just want to check," Susan told the two boys, but stopped as they saw what was going on.

Unfortunately, it was enough to strike Madame Pomfrey's last straw, "That's it! No more visitors! Everyone out now. Mr. Zabini, would you be so kind as to fetch Professor Dumbledore? He has been looking for Mr. Weasley since yesterday."

Blaise nodded, leaving the room as the rest of them were shooed about they nurse. "Please, Madame Pomfrey, will he be alright?" Hermione asked digging in her heels as the older woman herded them all towards the door.

"He will be just fine. Now, if you will all leave me in piece I can actually treat him," she growled at Hermione and then pushed her out the door before closing the door on them all.

Hermione whirled on the other three, "You couldn't just walk in like civilized people, now could you?" she accused looking from Harry, to Susan, and then to Neville. "What are you doing here in the first place?"

"Us?" Harry asked, "That was Ron in there behind the curtain, wasn't it and Daphne in the bandages on the other bed. What is going on Hermione?"

"You first," she snapped looking back towards the door.

"We finished up our run and Susan wanted to check on something in the Infirmary," Harry told her. "Your turn."

"I ran into Blaise on his way to see Daphne this morning when a strange owl with a note from Bellatrix Lestrange asked me to meet her to get Ron's body and then I brought him back here," Hermione shot back.

"You met her alone?" Harry asked, "Did you know it was going to be her? Did she attack you?"

"Yes, yes, and no," Hermione replied. "Look, he's back, with any luck at all he'll be OK and she's gone. There's nothing to worry about."

"Except what has happened since they left," Dumbledore's voice interrupted them. Blaise stood at his side.

"What did happen?" Harry asked the Professor.

"We won't know until Ronald awakes," Dumbledore replied. "Though, from all reports I have gathered thus far. A good number of Daphne and Ron's friends perished last night."

Susan and Neville looked at each other blankly, but Blaise shook his head, "We'll explain later. It isn't for us to share."

"Now, I will have Madame Pomfrey send word when Ron is well enough to receive visitors. Until then, I suggest you all get some breakfast and I'm sure you all have homework," Dumbledore instructed.

Hermione frowned, opening her mouth to argue, but the Professor placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "There is nothing you can do for him now. We'll let you know as soon as he's awake, but never fear. He will be well."

Hermione frowned again but refrained from arguing with him. Mulling over her options, she decided to go back to Gryffindor Tower and wait. While she was there she could go over the last bit of her plan. Her plan, which wouldn't work until she could get access to Ron. Still, she wanted to go over the Runes one more time and since Madam Pomfrey said he was going to be fine she would just have to wait until she could see him.

Dumbledore entered the infirmary leaving the five of them standing in the corridor, and the sound of Harry's voice pulled her attention.

"Blaise, if you aren't doing anything this afternoon, I'd be interested in seeing those maps you were working on. We can check them against mine and see what else we were missing," Harry offered.

The Dark Slytherin nodded and looked to Susan, "We'll meet you in the library after breakfast."

The inclusion of tall Hufflepuff wasn't lost on anyone, "Sure, I'll grab Ginny," Harry agreed with a small grin. "Neville, why don't you and Luna join us. We'll all study and then we won't have to hunt around when we can get access back to the infirmary."

Heading in their separate directions, we all split up, Hermione walked with Harry and Neville back to the Common Room and then down to breakfast once they had showered, loading her satchel with the Invisibility cloak and everything she would need to execute her plan.

Breakfast was a quiet affair, the news had not gotten out in regards to Ron and Daphne being up in the Infirmary and the Daily Prophet proved worthless with no mention of what had happened. Hermione picked at her food, everyone leaving her alone, sensing she was worried about Ron. Instead, she was biding her time until they left so that she could finish.

"Are you coming?" Harry asked as the group of them rose from their seats with Ginny at his side.

"No, I'm going to go back to the Common Room. I didn't get much sleep last night," Hermione answered. "I'll catch up with you all later."

Harry nodded, but the glare Ginny gave her let Hermione know loud and clear that the red head had not forgiven her for the night before.

Still, she wasn't going to let that stop her, the idea was simple enough now that she had used the Cauldron to make the potion, now all she had to do was execute the plan.

Watching her friends walk out of the Hall, Hermione once again wondered if she was making a mistake. Still, as Neville kept Luna from stumbling as she rose to her feet, she missed Ron. She loved him and she wasn't going to lose him if she could do anything about it. Hermione pushed aside her second thoughts and focused on the task at hand. She would do whatever she had to do to save Ron, even from him self. Turning back to her diagrams she pushed all doubt aside and began to write.

"Mr. Weasley can you hear me?"

The voice was too loud and the world somewhat fuzzy, but Ron could recognize it from too many visits to the hospital wing. Ron could have told you what the words would have been before the Healer even spoke them. If Madam Pomphrey was anything, she was predictable. The next voice was anything unpredictable however, "I believe that Mr. Weasley is waking up, Madam Pomphrey. Would you mind leaving him in my care for a few moments?"

The Healer must have nodded, because Ron could barely make out her foot steps as she left the room and then he heard the door to her office close. The fuzz was starting to clear and Ron was starting to be able to make out shapes when Professor Dumbledore's voice came through loud and clear. "I regret to inform you, Mr. Weasley, that all of the knights of your Order have perished in battle."

Ron felt his chest constrict and then asked the question he felt he must, "Including Val?"

"Your partner should make a full recovery under Madam Pomphrey's most able care, as will you. She is across from you if you can see her."

Indeed as Dumbledore pulled open the screen, there sat Val looking at him, covered in bandages herself.

"Hey," Ron told her.

"Hey, you've looked better," she joked looking at him.

"I could say the same about you," Ron agreed.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, "Most pressing though is what you plan on doing about your Orders most precarious situation. The decimation of your Order is a clear victory for Voldemort and will put even more pressure on the other Orders as the Death Eaters begin to target them."

"I don't understand, Professor, what do you mean what we plan on doing? As far as I can tell the Order has been destroyed," the words brought to mind all the members of the Order he had worked with, Talon most of all. "What is there left to do?"

"Ah, but there is always something to be done. The question is if you will choose to do something."

Ron struggled to sit up and Professor Dumbledore reached out and helped him shift back. Once he had caught his breath, he looked back at the old Professor, "I know the non-fighting part of the Order is still intact, but without knights to fight the battles, what could we do?"

Professor Dumble door gazed at Ron for a moment and pushed his glasses back before responding, "So the knights were the only ones who fought for your Order? Did you become a knight upon joining?"

Then it hit him, _the squires,_ they will all still intact. None of them had come on the assault. They could rebuild from the squires, but they would have to work fast before everything disintegrated. Still it could happen but he would have to convince the council and whoever they elected to the highest post. He looked over to Val once more and saw that she had come to the same conclusion, "I think it could be done, but I will need Val's help and still they might not listen to me." Here Ron paused and looked at the Headmaster, "Can you help Professor?"

"I would be glad to do what I can, Ronald, but the burden must fall on yourself and Miss Greengrass. You can, of course, find others who might wish to help you along the way and I would encourage you to do so, but in the end only the two of you can lead your Order out of the quagmire it has found itself in."

Ron started to reply, but when he opened his mouth a wide yawn split is face. Before he could apologize, Professor Dumbledore stood and smiled at Ron. "I fear I have kept you awake too long and if I do not allow you to get some rest, Madam Pomphrey will take me to task. Get your rest, Ronald, I will return when you are both better prepared to speak of what might be"

Ron nodded and tried to ask the Professor one more question, but by then he felt his eye closing and then he was asleep before the Professor had even left the room.

"You returned the boy to Hogwarts?" the cold voice asked.

"Yes Master, I returned him to the mudblood, Granger," Bellatrix replied.

"Will he live?" Voldemort questioned.

"He will indeed, Master. I made sure he was in no danger before I returned him. The girl is clever, but I did not want to risk him."

"Very clever, Bella. Are you certain that he is the one you wish to choose, my most faithful servant?"

"I am certain, my Lord, his blood is pure despite the Blood Traitor he has for a father. He is strong and is courageous as would befit one of the Gryffindors," Bellatrix replied as she moved to sit at Voldemort's feet.

"What will you do about his tendency to fight foolish battles he cannot win?"

"He is but young, Master, and somewhat foolish. He can be taught and we will have need of those like him when we rebuild the bloodlines. We are too few as things stand now; of course you are the one who has taught us these things. When we have turned enough of the purebloods to repopulate the bloodlines, then we can begin to force the tainted ones to leave."

Voldemort smiled coldly at Bellatrix, "Ah, but Bella, my most loyal servant, we will not force them away, we will simply eliminate them. As long as they exist, they will be a threat to our kind and our way of life. Then we will use the book in Hogwarts to track any child with magic ability and slay those that come from Muggle parentage. It will be a glorious day when that Muggle loving old fool discovers how I am going to use that precious school of his."

Bellatrix said nothing, but waited silently for her master to continue. She did not have to wait long, "Bella, take as many of the others as you need and bring my Seer to me. She is most valuable to me, Bella, and you are the only one I trust in this matter."

"I will see it done at once my Master," Bellatrix bowed and turned to leave when Voldemort's voice stopped her.

"Oh, and Bella, make sure that anyone who attempts to stop you is killed. I cannot afford to have the identity of my Seer revealed."

"It will be my pleasure to do so Master," she replied and turned with a flourish and swept out of the room.

As soon as she had left Voldemort turned to Pettigrew and ordered, "Tell Malfoy and Crabbe to ready the plans to retrieve the other matter and bring it to me."

"What of Dumbledore's allies?"

"What of them? We have destroyed the Lion's Heart and soon we will know the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. Once we know that, we will move to crush them swiftly. After they have fallen the Ministry will be quite easy to dispose of."

"We cannot be stopped, Master."

"Perhaps, if all of my servants perform ably, if that were the case though the Potter brat would be dead all ready. I have had my fill of failure,"

Hermione shrugged the Invisibility cloak off and took a deep breath of air. She had been sitting in that corner of the Hospital wing for over four hours and her legs ached with the strain of it. Still she had seen Madam Pomfrey give Ron and Daphne their sleeping potions an hour ago, so she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was asleep and not likely to be woken. Her legs burned as she stood up, but she managed to keep from hissing as the blood rushed back into them. As soon as her legs quit shaking, she gathered her things and walked over to where Ron lay. Pulling the curtain around his bed.

She ran her hand down his chest and then pulled out the potion bottle she had in the side pocket of her robe. Gently she poured the liquid into his mouth and then massaged his throat until he swallowed it all. Then she pulled the blankets down, exposing his body. She stared for a long moment running her eyes down the pale freckled skin and then she reached into her bag and pulled out a small pot and set it on the bed next to Ron's leg. Then she took out a piece of parchment from her bag and spread it out on the table beside Ron's bed. Taking a long look at the parchment, she opened the jar and dipped her fingers in the black liquid it contained. Carefully she began to draw the diagrams from the parchment on Ron's skin. The black showed up sharply on his pale skin even in the dim light of the Hospital wing. It took almost an hour before she had covered him in the complex swirls and runes.

As soon as she had finished, Hermione stood and stretched for a moment and then removed her robes to reveal the short, thin white gown she saw worn in many of the rituals. The same swirling designs that now covered Ron's body were visible on her arms and legs where the gown did not cover. Hermione paused and kissed Ron softly before she put one knee on the side of his torso and raised her body so that she straddled him. Reaching down she pulled her wand from the bag on the table and raised it high about her head. Then with a grimace of pain, she whipped it down and pointed it at Ron's chest.

"Bheith ina cheangal ar," she whispered and then she felt the power surge through her. She felt Ron's inner self struggle against the force of the spell, but the power she had unleashed was too great and she felt the spell bind him to her will. However, instead of feeling closer to him, it felt wrong as his soul resisted the control of he spell. The very violence of the emotions shocked her and she wondered if it hurt Ron to feel this.

Then the power of the spell surged again and it seemed as if all the diagrams written across her came alive and flared with as if made of fire and pain brought tears to her eyes. The burning intensified and she thought she might scream. Ron twisted under her and she feared she might be thrown to the floor. Then it stopped and she felt cooling energy flow through her in waves. She felt strong and powerful, he was hers and hers alone. He would be safe for she would make it so, he could not refuse her.

The power began to pulse within her and she thought it was growing lighter in the room. Then it flared and the light that filled the room blinded her. Dimly she thought she heard a voice in the distance and wondered with the person was angry. Then the light flared again and she felt the power swelled to bursting before she surrendered to it and fell into darkness.

When Ron awoke he knew something was wrong, very wrong. There were several adults standing off to the side and they seemed deeply involved in a discussion. Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomphrey were listening as a dark haired woman told them about "Old magic and spell balcklash." Though he didn't know exactly what they were talking about he was certain that it wasn't good and someone was in big trouble.

"_Maybe it's Malfoy."_

As much as that thought pleased Ron he was fairly certain that it wasn't Malfoy. This idea was only strengthened when his gaze fell on Hermione's face as she slept beside him. "Hermione how in the hell did you get in here?"

Hermione didn't answer but the adults stopped talking when he spoke and the dark haired woman came over and sat down on his bed. "How are you feeling?"

"A bit tired really." he answered "I know I have been asleep for a long time but it feels like I haven't slept at all,"

The lady nodded and then held out her hand "I'm Hestia Jones and Professor Dumbledore asked me to come here after he discovered the bit of magic that your girl here." She gestured at Hermione "She's a very cleaver girl obviously but she got her self in over her head on this one. I don't even understand how she made the potion without help,"

Ron did not understand what she was saying and the fact that she was covered in all sorts of bits and bobs made it even harder to concentrate. In fact he was fairly sure that she had a chicken bone pinned on her robe. He had to shake him self once of twice before he could focus on her when she began speaking again.

"She was just trying to protect you boy but she's done something a lot more powerful than that. It's old magic she used and it is as binding today as it was a thousand years ago. I know the girl didn't mean to do it or I suspect she didn't but the spell was more powerful than she thought."

"Pardon me but exactly what are you talking about?" Ron asked his confusion growing by leaps and bounds.

"The obedience spell she used is a strong one and it can compel when the strongest minds to comply with the Mistresses wishes. Truth be told boy, she can pretty much tell you to do anything and you'll do it. I hope you trust her a great deal because your life is pretty much in her hands," Hestia sighed.

"It isn't that bad Mr. Weasley, though it is close. Miss Granger had used a very advanced form of magic to protect you. I believe she did not understand how powerful it was and so cast a spell well beyond her reckoning. Currently she will have a huge amount of influence over your course of actions." The Professor paused and wiped his eyes. "Still I have faith that between you, Miss Granger, Hestia and my self we will discover a way to lessen the effects of the spell."

At that moment Hermione began to stir and Hestia looked over at her and then back at the Professor. She stood and walked over to where Hermione was tossing and sat in the chair beside her bed. "She is not going to be happy I would guess, Albus."

"No Hestia she is not, she will however be ready for the challenges in hand," here the Professor paused and looked at Ron "Once Mr. Weasly here has forgiven her,"


	78. Chapter 78

Ron felt his temper on the rise and he couldn't help but wonder what had possessed her to do something so extreme. Looking across the hospital wing, he saw Daphne lying awake and listening very intently to everything that was going on. Though, she too seemed surprised, she was almost more impressed looking than anything else.

"Albus," Hestia spoke up, "Why don't we put Hermione in a room by herself for awhile? I'm sure Ron's friends are going to come looking for him and I think she and I need to have a long conversation in private."

"A very good idea," Professor Dumbledore agreed and with a few flicks of his wand and Hermione wrapped in her blankets and floating out of the room with the Professors and Hestia Jones all following.

'

The six of them sat at one long table, Neville and Susan reviewing Herbology notes, Ginny and Luna working on a Charm's paper and Harry and Blaise comparing notes on the maps that Blaise had been creating. Leaving Ginny, Harry, and Blaise on one side of the table, and Susan, Neville and Luna across. Even though their friends were stuck in the infirmary, they were putting their time to good use in the vacant library until they received word that visitors would be allowed back in. Unfortunately, things did not seem well between them.

Ginny was still furious with Hermione, and though Harry had asked her many times, she would not say anything about what had happened. Susan too remained silent, but after spending enough time with her, Harry saw the hard edge in her that let him know that she was not happy either. Even Luna was more vague than usual, but still the girl's said nothing, just continued to stew between them.

Harry had even gone so far as to ask Blaise about what had happened, but the dark Slytherin seemed just as uninformed and baffled as he was. Still, they made great progress. Harry and Blaise spoke at length about the different spells that Blaise had used and what he had found in his exploration and Harry in turn shared what knowledge he had of the subject. Eventually though, their conversation turned towards the upcoming Gryffindor/Ravenclaw Quiddich final the following weekend and everyone became quickly engrossed in the possible outcomes and strategies. Thus, all six of them were vigorously whispering and none of them noticed when Malfoy and his goons approached them.

"Well, what do we have here?" Malfoy's snide voice broke through the whispers. "A model Slytherin sitting with Gryffindors, a loon, and his Hufflepuff whore?"

Blaise rose to his feet, with Harry and Susan both reaching for their wands. Blaise shook his head at Susan and looked down at the blond headed boy before him, "Just discussing a little Quidditch with a Seeker that knows something about how to fly. Now, is there a purpose for interrupting us?"

"I just wish the Slytherins could see you now. Where is your pride? Look at how you've lowered yourself and our house by associating with a half blood, half wit like Potter and these other fools. I just wanted to know if this was the glory days you saw for the future of the Slytherin House where the best we could hope for was a date with a Hufflepuff that should have learned her place."

Susan looked around the library and saw that Madame Pince had left and that they were attracting a good amount of attention to themselves, "Perhaps you should not do this here," she whispered looking towards Blaise.

"Oh no," Blaise replied with a sarcastic smile towards Susan, "You see, that is the entire point. Malfoy likes to make his embarrassment and ignorance as public as possible. Now, as for my choice in friends and the future of the Slytherin House. The Slytherin House had already made its determination on the path it shall choose and I know that I will choose who is and is not worthy of my time without your advice."

Malfoy didn't back off from Blaise, but instead stepped forward, "For a family so highly revered, what would your parents say to find you were sleeping with a Hufflepuff poser? Ah yes, Lord Zabini is all wise and all powerful, but I bet he hasn't the nerve to tell his parents. Why is that you wonder? Because he knows somewhere in that twisted little brain of his, that there is no possible way that she is worthy of him."

Susan paled at Malfoy's statement, Neville putting a comforting hand upon her shoulder and the entire table dropped into silence. Blaise's frown was fierce and his knuckles were white from the tension, "I've said my piece and refuse to dignify that with an answer."

"Why, truth hurts, does it?" Lenore laughed at Draco's side.

Malfoy nodded in agreement, "Yeah, let's get out of here."

As the Slytherins made for the door, it was Susan that didn't leave it alone, "Take that back."

"What did you say? Bonesy? I couldn't quite hear that," Malfoy's sneer was horrible as he turned away from Blaise and glared at Susan.

"I said, take that back," Susan replied, her voice rising in quiet library.

"You know, I don't think I will," Malfoy laughed and his little gang behind him followed suit.

"Come now Blaise, you always did have a thing for long legs, but I'm sure we can find someone more suitable for you," Lenore added at Malfoy's side.

"Lenore," Blaise's voice rumbled. "We're through."

This time Lenore's laugh followed with Malfoy's as they grinned at the pair of them, "What? You think you are some great wizards? Very well then, I think we all know who the great wizards are in this room and I believe I just said they were leaving."

The pack of them turned around and Blaise looked over to Susan, but the blond girl stepped forward, her wand drawn, "Draco Malfoy, I challenge you."

"Excuse me?" Draco asked turning around.

"Malfoy, I challenge you to a wizard's duel. The time and place are yours to declare, if you should so accept," Susan answered.

"Susan," Neville's worried voice spoke up.

"Shut up, Longbottom," Lenore hissed and then looked to Draco who hesitated, "If you don't accept her, I will. This is your chance, Draco. Wipe the floor with her."

Shaking off the girl, Draco looked around the library, seeing that Madame Pince had yet to return he raised his voice drawing the attention of every student in the room. "I call you all as witnesses that Susan Bones has challenged he to a wizarding duel and I so accept it."

Susan nodded once as Malfoy continued, lower this time, "Goyle will serve as my second."

Nodding, Susan looked back over her shoulder, "Harry?"

Surprised, Harry could only nod as she smiled at Malfoy. "When and where?"

"The Room of Requirement, Friday at dusk," Malfoy replied.

"I'll be there," she answered. "It's time to settle this argument."

"I'll look forward to it," Malfoy sneered and then turned and left the library.

Susan looked at her friends, but said nothing and just resumed her seat. Ginny and Luna followed her, but Harry, Neville, and Blaise all remained standing as they started realizing what had just happened.

"Susan, why did you do that?" Neville asked the first one that seemed to recover. "We all hate him, but you called him out and you know he won't fight fair."

"So, who does?" she asked. "I'm not afraid of him."

"He's right," Harry agreed resuming his seat, "Malfoy is dangerous, Susan. You should not have done that."

"Right and let the smarmy bastard continue to walk around treating others like that? I don't think so. He caught me exhausted last time, he won't be so lucky a second time," Susan returned. "Thanks for standing up with me, Harry."

Harry ignored Blaise's fierce frown and nodded, "No problem," he replied trying to sound casual.

The entire table fell silent and they all waited for Blaise to say something, anything about what had just occurred. Susan studied her notes obviously trying to ignore him, and looking at Blaise, it seemed as if he was debating what to say.

Harry glanced over at Ginny who shook her head in warning, urging him to be quiet and she seemed almost gleeful about what was going to happen next. Even Luna hummed to herself oblivious to the tension on the other side of the table.

Ginny pulled out a piece of scrap paper and scrawled one word across it, "Mistake."

That confused Harry even more, why would Ginny be glad that Susan had made a mistake challenging Malfoy? Then things became abundantly clear, "You can not go through with this," Blaise's deep voice began as he finally resumed his seat.

Susan looked up at him, "Give me one good reason why not?" she asked her voice low and she seemed to match him in icy stares.

"You'll lose."

Closing her book with a snap, Susan rose to her feet, "That wasn't a good enough reason."

"You could get hurt," Blaise added rising to his feet as well.

"Funny, that's already happened once," Susan replied and Zabini paled at the jab. "I'll see you guys later," she spoke up looking at the rest of the table and pointedly ignoring Blaise.

"Susan," Blaise tried once more, taking her arm.

She shrugged him off, grabbing her pack and swinging it over her shoulder, "I think you've said enough today, Blaise, or maybe it was more along the lines of you not saying enough?"

Blaise frowned and Harry finally understood she wasn't upset about Malfoy or his concern, she was upset about what Malfoy had rattled on about and Blaise hadn't denied. Looking over to Ginny, she nodded quickly confirming it for Harry.

Susan walked away from the table, but then stopped and turned around, "Tell me they weren't right, Blaise."

"You know, I can not," Blaise kept his voice low.

Walking back she stood in front of him and the hurt Harry saw there was intense, "You know? I'm glad we found out now, at least we didn't waste a lot of time. Don't show up on Friday, Blaise. I don't want you there."

"Susan, it doesn't matter," Blaise tried once more. "I meant everything I said and you know it."

"Do I?" she replied. "I guess it makes it easier then, just lying to me. That's what you are really interested in, isn't it? Whatever is most convenient for you."

Blaise didn't say anything as Susan continued, "Here's another lesson for you about feelings, Blaise, being someone's friend is hard. Standing up with them, even if you don't believe in what they are doing. Supporting them, no matter what the odds and obstacles. It means putting them in front of you and sometimes it means sacrificing your dignity, your pride, and yourself for their benefit. I don't think you get that and I can't be your friend unless you do."

Turning on her heel, she made it about another ten steps before a first year stopped at the table, "Ron's awake. He and Daphne are asking for you lot."

Harry and Ginny leapt to their feet as they all hurried to gather their things. Susan just glanced over her shoulder, "I will meet you guys there."

As the seven of them entered the infirmary, Ron opened his eyes and was admittedly all at once glad to see his friends and still wishing for some more time alone to figure out just what had happened.

He was able to give Daphne a warning glance so that she wouldn't say anything about Hermione's strange actions just before Ginny through herself at him. "You really are a large prat, you know that? Could you please try to make it through the rest of the year without ending up in here again?"

"It's good to see you too," Ron replied.

"You know, we have a game this weekend, Ronald. We are still expecting you to show up all in one piece," Ginny added taking a seat next to him.

"Really mate, how are you feeling?" Harry added with a frown at Ginny.

"Better already. Madame Pomfrey thinks I will be out of here by Tuesday and there isn't a thing in the world that will keep me out of that game," Ron replied with enthusiasm.

"Where's Hermione?" Neville asked looking around, "Isn't she usually the first person in here?"

Ron sent another warning glare over at Daphne who seemed totally serene, "She's been here and gone already. Something about needing some rest. She looked exhausted."

Blaise pulled up a seat next to Daphne's bed and propped his legs on the corner of it, "That is no joke. She did look rather tired this morning."

"What happened to you?" Ginny asked looking to her brother again. "You like it must have been some kind of fight."

"It was," Ron replied, but stopped there not really wishing to speak anymore about what had happened.

Ginny frowned, obviously worried, but Harry put a hand on her shoulder, "Well, you didn't miss what is going to shape up to be a good one. I need you better and quick, Ron. We've got more than our work cut out for us."

"Why is that?" Ron asked. "I told you, I will be fine to play in the match this weekend."

Here Luna smiled, and gracefully took a seat next to Ron, "Because, Susan challenged Malfoy just now in the library."

"Bull shit," Ron couldn't believe it. Susan? Hanging out with the three of them was definitely starting to wear on the girl.

"Nope, that's right, mate," Neville answered, "and she asked Harry to be her second."

Turning startled eyes on Harry, who shrugged, "What else was I supposed to do? She asked me and I would have liked to see you turn her down in front of Malfy."

"Did you try to talk her out of it?" Ron asked looking over to Blaise.

The Slytherin shifted uncomfortably in his chair, "It is her life," he replied trying to be casual, but it fell flat and Daphne looked over at him sharpy.

"What did you do, Blaise?" she asked her eyes narrowed. "Please tell me you weren't stupid enough to try to talk her out of it."

The Slytherin didn't reply, but Daphne rolled her eyes, "Let me guess. You told her she was going to lose."

Again, Blaise maintained his silence, but Ginny's and Luna's unhappy faces were enough to confirm Daphne's theory on her best friend.

"Blaise, you are an idiot," she replied. "She's got as good a chance as I have to beat Malfoy and almost as much as Ron or Harry would have."

"She's a Hufflepuff. What does she know about fighting?" Blaise snapped.

"Plenty," Ron spoke up. "She bested me once and I'm just waiting for the day when she catches Harry."

"Yeah, but you blokes follow the rules. There are no rules with Malfoy, he'll cheat to win and she has no sense of that," Blaise replied.

"I agree," Neville spoke up, "She's great at defense, but actually winning?"

"Neville!" Luna shook her head, "She will be fine. You'll see."

It was this point that Susan actually walked into the Infirmary and directly over to Ron's bed. Giving him a tender hug, she shook her head and apologized, "I went to find Hermione, but she wasn't in your Common Room or the library. I don't know where she is."

"That's alright Susan. I'll speak to her eventually," Ron replied, but he wasn't able to keep it as light as he had intended.

Susan pulled back with surprise and looked to the others for an explanation, but they were all equally as baffled and Daphne, bless her, wasn't saying anything.

"Well, it is time you kids got going. These two need their rest," Madame Pomfrey ordered walking into the infirmary. "You can see them both tomorrow after class."

Reluctantly, they gathered up their things once more and left. Ron couldn't help but notice that neither Blaise nor Susan said one word to the other, but still he had his own problems to worry about and she was resting in the next room.

Looking over towards Daphne, he grinned, "I owe you for that."

Daphne just shrugged and settled back into her bed, "I figured I was the one that owed you from yesterday. How did you get out of there?"

Ron shook his head, his memories were foggy, "I don't know. Some woman helped me. That's all I have got."

Daphne's brow furrowed, "The only people that were there were Death Eaters Ron. Who of them would want to leave you alive?"

"I don't know," he answered. "I really, just don't know."

'

Three days. Three of the longest days of her life that reminded her so much of first year right before the troll broke into the school that she was beside herself. After an incredibly long discussion with Hestia Jones in regards to the potion and the spell she used, including Hermione turning over the book Ron had given her, the lady had finally left the castle promising to send word when she knew more. Still, Ginny refused to speak to her, the rest of her Circle were avoiding her as well, following Ginny's lead. Only Luna remained about the same towards her.

Hermione found out about Susan's challenge to Malfoy and subsequent ending of things with Blaise from Neville during Transfiguration. She had tried to find time to speak to Susan afterwards, but it seemed most of the school wanted to speak to Susan. It took her two days to catch the girl relatively by herself before breakfast and after her training session with Ron, Neville, and Harry.

Walking down the hall, she turned the corner to find Susan walking towards her, in her running clothes and red faced. "Susan, hey!" Hermione smiled at her friend and stopped her.

"Hermione," Susan nodded and paused, looking down at her.

Susan said nothing more, but it wasn't in her to be rude and Hermione took a deep breath. She had a lot of people to apologize to and it seemed that Susan would be a logical first step, "I am sorry about what I did. It was wrong, I should have warned you all about it beforehand. I should also have listened to your warnings, it seems that you were spot on with your tarot."

Susan nodded, but said nothing, as Hermione continued, "Look, I know Ginny hates me, the rest of the girls don't trust me, and honestly I have made a total mess of things with Ron, but really, I wanted to wish you luck on Friday and say that I am sorry about Blaise. I just thought you may want to talk."

Susan crossed her arms and looked down at the girl, before shaking her head with a chuckle, "There isn't a lot to talk about. Blaise wasn't the guy I thought he was--end of story. I wasn't wrong about the Slytherins, just in that I thought there may be something different about him. That's it."

"Susan, are you so certain about that?" Hermione asked surprised by the girl's vehemence. "He's pretty reserved, but I don't think he's beyond hope."

Susan shook her head, "No, Hermione, he doesn't think I am good enough to be with him. He so much as admitted it in front of all of our friends and Malfoy and his gang. It was horrible. If he had a single iota of kindness or thoughtfulness, he wouldn't have done it."

"Well, he definitely isn't as smart as I thought he was," Hermione agreed.

"He's smart," Susan shook her head, "He just doesn't know anything about people or how to be a friend. He's lazy and he's a coward."

"So, when did this happen? Before or after you challenged Malfoy?" Hermione asked.

"Well, in the midst thereof," Susan answered. "Blaise didn't think I can beat Malfoy."

"I know Neville's worried about you," Hermione added, not wanting to voice her own worries.

"Neville's a good friend, but he needn't worry," Susan replied. "Anyway, the morning is getting away from me and I need a shower before breakfast. I'll catch you later, OK?"

"Sure," Hermione replied as Susan smiled at her with the first look of friendliness Hermione had felt in days.

Susan walked past her, but before she left, she heard the Hufflepuff say her name, "Hermione?"

"Yeah?" she asked looking back to the blond girl as she came back to stand in front of her.

Susan took a deep breath, "Look, Hermione, things will get better. Ron loves you and your friends are still your friends. They will come around. You made a mistake, but that makes you human just like the rest of us. You've just got to learn to trust us, because if you don't, you'll drive everyone away."

"So, you think they will all forgive me?" Hermione asked and the answer was terribly important to her.

Susan smiled, "Given time they will forgive you and that includes Ron."

Susan left her in the hallway then and Hermione found herself smiling again. Susan's simple faith that everything would be well again comforted her more than she could have suspected. Blaise Zabini was totally a fool to have walked away from that girl.

With newfound determination, Hermione started her day determined to make a change. She had to learn to trust her friends and she would begin with Susan and end with Ron. She had too, Hermione was no fool and she would learn from her mistakes, even if it killed her.

Hermione spent the rest of Wednesday and Thursday trying to sit down with every person she had wronged to apologize and talk and by Thursday afternoon, the only people she had left were Ginny, Daphne, and Ron. She and Ron were to do their rounds together that night and Hermione planned on speaking to him then.

For the most part, Susan's predictions had proven true, as Hermione admitted her fault and apologized the girls had all reacted with understanding and seemed impressed by her own humility. If anything, she was getting along with her roommates better than she ever had and had even agreed to allow Lavendar to fix her game for the celebration after the Quidditch game on Saturday.

Hermione spent a good deal of time with Susan during the week. She suspected that Susan was worried about her and checking up on her, but she still appreciated the girl's thoughtfulness. Harry told her that she and he had doubled their training practice and Harry assured her that Susan stood a good chance of actually winning on Friday, but there were few people that believed that.

The entire school whispered of nothing other than the duel and Quidditch. Malfoy was definitely the favorite to win and at any point you could walk by and hear him loudly proclaiming of his own skill and the subsequent quick and easy defeat of Susan. Susan herself said nothing about it. She neither bragged of her own skill, nor said anything negative in regards to Malfoy.

The more she left the matter alone, the more the Hufflepuffs rallied around her. The most surprising of her supporters though were members of the Slytherin House, Caleb, a first year, Trenton, a massive seventh year, and several others that Hermione did not know. Even Ginny and Luna had taken up for Susan, but a good portion of the school was undecided in regards to the outcome.

Hermione also watched Blaise through all of this. The dark Slytherin kept out of the debate, never made a move to choose one side or another, and the only thing Hermione ever saw that indicated he even still thought of the blond Hufflepuff, were his eyes. He watched her constantly, and Hermione saw the same pull for her friend.

Still, as much as the school couldn't get enough of the duel, the Quidditch championship game was that Saturday. Harry had their team out training during every possible free moment, thus Ginny and Ron were gone to all hours out flying and even when they were around, it seemed neither one had any interest in speaking to her.

Hermione had tried to give them some time to relax, figuring that she could speak to them after the game, but when she glanced at the schedule and saw that she and Ron were on duty together, she realized it was time.

That night, Ron came down the stairs right on time, and said nothing to her, but opened the door and allowed her to precede him out of the door. Hermione turned left and headed for the dungeons, figuring they could start at the bottom and work their way to the top.

She walked through the halls fidgeting, trying to calm her nerves and searching for the right thing to explain what she had did, why she had done it and beg him for forgiveness. The more she looked at him though, the angrier he got, and the cold fury in has gaze kept her silent.

Finally, the silence between them became too much for her, "Ron, this is silly, say something."

"What do you want me to say?" Ron asked his voice rough and low as he opened another door and looked inside.

Hermione frowned, "Ron, look, I didn't think it would be quite like that."

"Oh really, so you were only going to partly control me? What like Wednesdays and Fridays I can do what I want and the rest of the week, I'm allowed to do things so long as I get your permission?" Ron sneered at her.

"That isn't what was going on," Hermione protested. "If you had the sense of a cockroach, I wouldn't have had to go to such extreme measures."

"A cockroach?" Ron thundered at her and Hermione saw the color rising on his face.

Looking up and down the hall, Hermione took his arm and pulled him into a nearby classroom, "How many times have you been hurt this year, Ronald? How many times has someone brought you back here bleeding or unconscious? Bellatrix Lestrange brought you back this time, Ronald. What am I supposed to think?"

"That I can take care of myself, Hermione," Ron snapped back at her. "I'm still alive, no thanks to you or some crazy magic."

"For how much longer, Ronald? How much more luck do you have?" Hermione hissed and she felt her eyes water. "How many times have you promised me that you would be more careful and then the next thing I know is that you've disappeared and someone brings your broken body back to me. How many times do I have to go through this with you?"

"Hermione, there is a war going on and people fight in it. I am just trying to do my part," Ron replied.

"No, Ron, you just love the recklessness, the adrenaline rush, the fighting. You're losing the lines between the good side and fighting because there is no other choice and fighting because you love it."

"What are you trying to say?" Ron demanded of her.

"I can't take this anymore, Ronald, the waiting to find out whether or not you are going to come back to me safe and sound. I can't do this anymore, Ronald. I love you, but I can't."

Ron looked at her like she had just slapped him, but she realized that she had told him the truth. "I was just trying to protect you."

"Well, I don't need your protection and if you can't do this anymore, then there is a rather simple solution to that as well," Ron nodded.

The door opened suddenly stopping what Hermione was about to say, "Mister Weasley, Miss Granger, am I interrupting something?"

"No, Professor," Hermione answered automatically flicking a quick glance at Ron.

"Mister Weasley, would you be so good as to finish your rounds? Miss Granger and I need to have a few words and I will leave her at the Common Room when I am done."

Ron nodded, his face red and left the room as if he couldn't wait to get away from her. Trying to hide how much that hurt and afraid of what he had meant to his "simple solution," Hermione looked back to the headmaster. "You wanted to speak to me, Headmaster?"

"I wished to speak to you in regards to your summer plans, Miss Granger," Professor Dumbledore began. "You see, Mrs. Jones has offered to work with you to undo the rather creative spell you cast on Mr. Weasley this summer at the Castle Tintagel. I have written to your parents and they have given their permission for you to study with her over the summer."

"I understand," Hermione agreed. "What did you tell my parents?"

"Just that you have been offered a research position for the summer and that you will be perfectly safe while you are there," Professor Dumbledore explained.

"I see," Hermione replied. "Very well then, is anyone else I know going to be there?"

"Yes, at various times, but most importantly, Mrs. Jones would like you and she to speak with Miss Greengrass in order to gain her assistance. Hestia believes that Miss Greengrass will be most beneficial in aiding you this summer."

"Daphne?" Hermione asked with some surprise. "Are you certain?"

"Quite. Miss Jones will return this weekend and you may both speak to Miss Greengrass at that time and to arrange for your transportation."

Hermione nodded, suddenly depressed. Of all of the people in the school, Daphne was the one she needed help from?

"Good, good," Professor Dumbledore nodded and then gestured towards the door. "Perhaps we should get you back to your Common Room then? I dare say Mister Weasley may be waiting on you."

"No," Hermione replied. "I don't think he will."

As Hermione returned to the Common Room, the door swung open. A small portion of her had expected to find Ron there. Instead, she saw a shadow heading up the boy's staircase as she entered and Harry and Ginny still seated below. Both trying to act like they had been diligently working on their homework.

"Harry?" Hermione asked deciding to continue to take the bull by the horns.

"Yeah?"

"Would you go on to bed? Ginny and I need to talk."

Harry nodded, kissed Ginny quickly on the cheek before going up the stairs and leaving the two girls alone to hash it all out.

It took roughly half the night for Hermione and Ginny to finally come to terms with everything. Hermione explained what had happened, her reasoning, being caught, her plans for the summer, Susan, Daphne, and the book and the Cauldron—everything.

Ginny covered the entire spectrum from seething fury, to laughter, to tears, and back. However, in the end, things were finally settled between Ginny and Hermione. At that point, the clock tolled 3 a.m. and the two girls were sitting on the sofa in front of the fire as Ginny rehashed what had happened with Blaise and Susan.

"Do you think she will win tomorrow?" Hermione asked Ginny, honestly she had no idea as to the girl's abilities.

"Harry said that there is no way to tell," Ginny replied. "Poor Harry, it's a wonder he's slept at all this week what with the Quidditch game and practice and Susan's duel and their practices."

"You think he shouldn't have seconded her?" Hermione asked.

"Absolutely not," Ginny replied sharply. "Harry is the best of the three. Ron was hurt, and let's face it, would you have picked Neville?"

Hermione shook her head, "No, you're right there. Still, I hope everything goes well tomorrow. You don't think there will be many people, do you?"

"No," Ginny answered. "I don't think very many people know where it will be."

Nodding, Hermione hid a yawn behind her hand, "We really need to turn in."

"Yeah," Ginny answered walking back over and gathering up her schoolbooks. "If anything, tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

'

As Ron, Harry, and Ginny walked in from their last early morning practice, his stomach rumbled as they walked into the Common Room.

"Let's hurry up and get down to breakfast," Ron grumbled to the other two.

Harry nodded and headed up the stairs, but Ginny paused, "Aren't you going to wait for Hermione?"

"No," Ron answered a little too quickly.

"Ron, she told me what all happened," Ginny started.

"Great," Ron snapped in reply.

"Look, prat, if you want to talk or anything," Ginny offered, turning her older brother so he would face her.

"No, I'm good," Ron answered. "Thanks for the offer though."

"Sure thing," Ginny smiled and then headed up the girl's staircase.

Just then the door to the Common Room opened and Professor McGonagall entered, "Mr. Weasley, the Headmaster would like a word with you before your classes begin."

"Yes, Professor," Ron nodded trying not to be too glum. He'd been expecting that since he'd been released from the hospital wing on Tuesday.

Hurrying through a shower and breakfast, Ron returned to the Headmaster's Office and as he entered, he heard, "Ah Mr. Weasley I have been expecting you, please come in and have a seat,"

The jovial tone in Professor Dumbledore's voice caught Ron by surprise. Truthfully, he had been expecting a dressing down ever since he had returned from the botched attack on the Death Eaters. Ron gave the Professor and uneasy smile and took one of the chairs in front of the ornate desk.

"Now, I am quite certain that you have been giving what to do about the current situation of your own Order and I thought I might have a way to help you if you wish to hear it?" the Professor began.

Ron's outlook brightened considerably at the Professor's words. He had been wracking his brain during the time he spent recovering. Well that and brooding about the entire Hermione situation. Since he didn't see how he could do anything about that particular problem, he had tried to focus on the pressing matter of the almost total destruction of his order.

Ron looked at Professor Dumbledore and nodded, "I'd love to Professor, because right now I don't have a clue where to begin. I sent an owl to the Magisters and Artificers asking what their thoughts were and I haven't heard back from them yet. Honestly though from everything I have read they will just defer to my and Val's judgment as the senior knight," Ron paused and took a deep breath and steadied his breathing "I am fairly certain they are going to name me Grandmaster as all most all Grandmasters have been Knights of the Sword rather than Knights of the Shield like Val."

The Professor nodded, "I think that perhaps you will need a symbol for the remainder of your Order to rally around, something inspiring, something out of legend."

"That sounds really good, Professor Dumbledore, but I don't have anything like that and if I knew where to find something like that I would have already gotten it."

Professor Dumbledore laughed, "That is precisely the area that I can help you in, Mr. Weasley. Have you ever heard of a quest, Mr. Weasley?"

Ron nodded, of course he had heard about quests. Every little wizarding child knew about Merlin and the knights he surrounded himself with. Not to mention all the times they talked about this quest or that in Professor Binn's History of Magic classes. Now though, Ron was certain that Professor Dumbledore was referring to something more personal.

"May I be frank, Mr. Weasley?"

"Of course, Professor."

"Your Order will not survive without strong leadership, that is plain enough. Yet you do not feel in your heart that you are up to the task at hand and I right?"

Ron swallowed hard and answered, "Yeah, that is true I suppose. It is all moving so fast now."

Here Professor Dumbledore smiled and asked, "Have you ever heard of the Holy Grail, Mr. Weasley?"

"Sure, in History of Magic. It was supposed to be some form of magic cup that Merlin's knights searched for,"

The Professor smiled, "Very good, Mr. Weasly, though it was Artos's knights that searched for the Grail."

"Artos?" Ron asked puzzled.

"Sorry, Artos is the old way of saying Arthur, who was King of the Britons at the time," The Professor explained. "Arthur's knights believed the Grail had miraculous healing powers and that it showed the way to enlightenment."

Ron scooted forward to the edge of his seat, "Does it, do you think?"

Professor Dumbledore beamed, "Absolutely, Ronald, the Grail brings enlightenment to all those who find it. Now what can you tell me about King Arthur?"

Ron shrugged, "Not much I remember Hermione telling me that he was a muggle king who knew about magic and that Merlin worked with him to bring about the 'Summer Kingdom.' Honestly, it was very confusing and it was such a nice day that I wanted to go play Quidditch instead of listening to Hermione recite lessons."

"Well Miss Granger was correct; Arthur was a muggle king who was very familiar with magic. He fought for many years to keep invaders out of Brittan and when he was finally slain his body was taken to the Isle of Apples from where it was said that he would return to Brittan when its need was greatest." Dumbledore paused and looked at Ron over his glasses, "Very inspiring, don't you think?"

Ron didn't quite believe his ears, was the Professor suggesting what it sounded like he was suggesting? "Professor are you saying I should try to find this Arthur bloke and get him to help with the Order?"

"It would certainly be a great point to rally around, wouldn't it Mr. Weasley?"

Something about the twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes was a bit unnerving to Ron, but still the idea of bring back an ancient hero to help was more than Ron could resist. "Where do you think I should start, Professor?"

The Professor paused and tapped his fingers together lightly, "Well you certainly cannot start until the term ends. I understand that you have one more Quidditch game to play. Now, I know you want to get started, but Professor McGonagal would never forgive me if I sent her House teams Keeper off just before the final match of the year. She has become quite attached to the Quiddich Cup, I fear."

Ron nodded in agreement, Professor McGonagal had gotten quite adamant about keeping the Cup out of Slytherin hands for another year. So much so in fact that several students commented that Oliver Wood must have learn his training routine from her. "Okay then, right after the end of term,"

Professor Dumbledore nodded, "I will have several books that you might find useful in your search brought to you. Oh and Mr. Weasley, I know you might find it tempting to take Miss Granger with you. Let me stress that you can be around Miss Granger for quite a while yet until we have broken the power of the spell she cast on you."

Ron nodded more than confused than ever about what to do about Hermione, when the Professor spoke again, "Taking someone with you was an excellent idea, Ronald, just not Miss Granger this time."

"But who them, Professor? I can't take Hermione. What about Harry or Daphne?"

"I'm afraid they both have other plans this summer, Ronald."

"Who then?"

Professor Dumbledore cocked his head at Ron and his eyes twinkled annoyingly at Ron again. "Then you know of none who might be able to aid you? Is there no one in your own house who has courage and loyalty enough to be worthy of your trust?"

Ron pondered the Professor's words for a moment and then an image of Neville trying to stop them from leaving Gryffindor tower so many years ago when they were trying to protect the Philosopher's Stone. Neville had come farther than any of them in his training it could be argued and he would be utterly loyal to Ron's secrets.

"Neville would do a good job, I think," Ron finally said aloud.

The Professor beamed at him, "Yes truly he will, Ronald. I must confess I am very proud of so many of your fellow students, but Mr. Longbottom has won my deepest admiration for his efforts while here at Hogwarts. Now, Ronald, if you will excuse me, I have much work to do today. I will send you those books I mentions before the day is over."

"Thank you, Professor," Ron replied and then left the office without another word. Ron's mind raced with thought of all the things he had suddenly become responsible for and for one horrible moment he felt as though he was doomed to fail and let so many people down in the process. Then he stood straight up and said "I will not let anyone down," to no one in particular.

"Oh and Mr. Weasley?" Professor Dumbledore spoke up.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Susan Bones, how has she been going with your training?" the Professor asked.

"Good, very good," Ron answered.

The Professor nodded, "It would be a mistake to assume that your group is the only group getting advanced training in Defense. Now, you should hurry on to your classes."

Ron made it in time for his first class and warned Harry. Malfoy was always full of surprises.

That day flew by. It seemed even the teachers knew of what was coming that night. Harry was awarded forty points by Professor Sprout for turning in his homework on time and even Professor McGonagall chipped in another ten for Harry's successful transfiguration of a goblet into a globe with mostly accurately described landmasses. Hermione's globe was, of course, perfect, but Ron still had not spoken to her from the night before. He knew he needed to stay away from her and with where they had left things, it sounded like that was what she wanted as well.

Dinner that night was a quiet affair, with lots of whispers and talk. It was almost pensive in the silence. Susan ate quickly and early and left the Hall as Ron, Harry and Ginny were entering. Ron wished the blond girl luck. She smiled and seemed her normal quiet self, but Ron knew she was nervous. Even Harry seemed on edge, picking at his food.

"So, what are you going to wear?" Ginny asked Harry, taking one of his hands in her own.

Harry blinked with surprise and then looked at her, "I don't know. Should I have asked Susan?"

Ginny smiled and shook her head, "Susan's wearing jeans and street clothes. You should probably do the same."

Harry nodded and smirked to Ron, "Ever thought about what you should wear before getting in a fight?"

"Nope, sorry mate," Ron replied with a smile of his own.

Ginny rolled her eyes and looked over to Hermione and Lavendar for help, "Oh and these two just want to see Susan Bones rolling around on the ground with her skirt wrapped up around her waist."

"Well, I could definitely think of worse things," Seamus spoke up with a big grin.

"Seamus!" all the girl's cried. Harry and Ron just shrugged at one another. Seamus was right.

Unphased, Seamus just looked at Harry, "So, we're going to meet you in there before dusk."

"We?" Harry asked surprised.

"Yeah, didn't you know? At least half the school is going to be there. They ended up moving it to the Quidditch stadium."

"What about the professors?" Hermione piped up.

Seamus just shook his head, "Malfoy swears he has it all covered."

"Covered?" Ron asked rather worried.

"Come on, Malfoy is in this too. Don't you think it is in his best interest not to be caught?" Seamus defended the Slytherin.

"Well, I'll just be surprised if he actually shows up," Ron answered. "We probably need to head out there. If that many people are going to be there, I want to be sitting down in front so Susan can see us. She'll need all the support she can get."

It ended up not being half the school, but still a good fifty to seventy-five students were gathered on the Quidditch field in the quickly darkening stadium. Harry had left to find Susan after dinner, making a stop back at the Common Room to change like Ginny had suggested.

Ron looked around the Quidditch pitch. A good number of older Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws and Gryffindors were all gathered along one half of the circle while the Slytherins stood in two groups on the other, all surrounding a large white circle that had been cast upon the ground.

Ron saw Cho, Daphne and Seamus, Parvati and Padma Patil, Dean and Katie Bell, all the sixth and seventh years from actually all four houses were there that night. "Susan forbade anyone below fifth year to come," Neville spoke up to Ron as he glanced around the crowd.

"Well, it seems one kid didn't listen," Ron replied motioning over to where a first year Slytherin stood next to that huge Tristan bloke, one of the Slytherin beaters.

"Caleb and Susan have a special friendship," a slow, cultured voice replied. Ron turned and saw Blaise standing beside him looking immaculate as ever.

"I thought you weren't coming," Neville frowned at the Slytherin, reaching for his wand.

Blaise frowned at the Gryffindor's ire, "I'm not delusional enough to think that I didn't in part cause this fiasco."

"Well, no one ever claimed you were stupid," Neville replied and his continued anger surprised Ron, making him more sure in his choice.

Blaise ignored his remark and looked once more to Ron, "I would speak with you, in private before they arrive."

Ron nodded, suddenly curious and followed Blaise back in behind the crowd, "So?" Ron prompted as they stopped outside of hearing distance.

"Your brother works at Gringotts, right?" Blaise asked carefully.

"Yeah," Ron agreed admittedly caught off guard by his question.

"Does he like it? Professor Dumbledore mentioned you interned there last summer," Blaise continued.

"It was decent work. I spent the summer in Egypt dodging curses and trying to stay cool. I have to say, it isn't the worst job you could have. Why care though? Surely you don't need the money."

"No," Blaise shook his head quickly. "Once the Professor heard about my 'research' this year, he put a word in with the bank and they have offered me a position, if I am interested."

"Barmy, that'd be great. I thought you liked all that hunting around stuff?" Ron said surprised. "What's the issue?"

"It's a job," Blaise answered. "No one in my family has held a job for twenty generations. That and we have recently acquired an organization that I was hoping to help reorganize."

Ron paused for a minute, and Blaise's expression was as blank as it always was, but a sudden excitement that only Ron's other instincts detected triggered something in him, "You bought the Arrows?"

Blaise's eyes immediately narrowed, "What would make you think that?"

Ron shook his head, Blaise's annoyance proof enough for him, "Why aren't you shouting it off the rooftops? Your own Quidditch team, Merlin, you must be the luckiest bloke alive. Why would you bother with that job?"

Blaise shook his head, "I don't know. I will tell Dumbledore that I cannot. It is the right thing to do," Blaise answered. "I would appreciate it you kept your opinions on that matter to yourself. The owner's weren't planning on announcing the acquisition until the end of the summer."

Ron nodded, understanding his meaning, and suddenly the crowd grew silent. As the sun finally set, Malfoy and Goyle and Susan and Harry were approaching from either side of the field.

"Blaise," Ron stopped the Slytherin as he watched Susan with worry evident upon his face.

"What?"

"You know, you need to do what will make you happy no matter what anyone, including your parents thinks. That includes that job at Gringotts and Susan Bones," Ron told him bluntly. "You're a damn fool if you do anything else."

Blaise ignored that comment as Susan and Malfoy reached the edge of the Circle.

"Well, I see you didn't chicken out," Malfoy sneered at Susan across the Circle, but did not enter it.

Susan wore her hair back in braids, jeans, and a Chuddley Cannons t-shirt. She looked more like she was hanging out on the weekend and not there to fight some duel. Still she stepped into the Circle, "I have challenged you Draco Malfoy, that what you have said of my friends and this school was dishonest. You have no honor, Draco, and you are a coward. Do you accept my challenge to prove that you are not?"

"I accept, Bonesy," Malfoy sneered and handing over his cape to Goyle entered the ring after her. Daphne stepped forward as the director for the night as the two approached one another and stood back to back, their wands drawn.

"The victor shall be the last witch or wizard standing in the Ring. Stepping outside of the ring, losing the ability to rise, and attacking any other than those participating in the duel are ground for automatic forfeiture. No one is to speak other than the two combatants. Those serving as your second may help to remove the effects of spells, but will not participate themselves. They will keep the peace. Each of you may call one 'Halt' for a one minute break throughout the course of the duels. Do either of you have any questions?"

Susan shook her head and Malfoy copied the movement, "Very well then, please approach the center of the ring and place your back to your opponent," Daphne spoke aloud.

Malfoy walked forward and waited for Susan. Susan instead turned and looked to Harry, paying no attention to the crowd. She put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed, "You can do this, Susan," Harry whispered encouragement to her.

Susan nodded and looked around the gathered group of people, neither smiling nor frowning, but more seemingly resolute than anything else. From his place in the back, Ron doubted she had seen either Ron or Blaise at his side.

Susan put her back to Malfoy and held her wand before her, Draco copied her movements and then Daphne began to count off the steps. They walked outwards, but just after Daphne had said nine, Draco turned and as she counted ten, cast his first spell, "Petrificus Totalis!"

Having expected the maneuver, Susan did not turn as Daphne spoke, but instead stepped to the side, the curse rushing past her and cried, "Expelliarmus," in her turn. The spell narrowly missed Draco as he dodged at the last second and the wizard and witch faced off against one another.

As the casting began, Malfoy hammered at Susan who sidestepped and blocked the curses with little strain, but her own attacks were reserved as if she was allowing Malfoy to tire himself. Ron realized early on to watch for Harry's reactions, her slow attacks did not surprise him, it must have been part of the plan they had worked on to defeat Malfoy, and indeed that seemed the case.

As Malfoy pressed his attack even harder, Susan began to seem to be struggling in her defense against him as he hammered at her with every common curse Ron knew, "Expelliarmus, Stupefy, Fernunculous!" hammering at her with any number of jinxes and hexes, but none of them struck home. Still, Malfoy's confidence continued to grow as Susan continued to dodge and feint and Susan's supporters grew quiet, worried that this challenge may have been as much of a farce as Malfoy had been asserting.

Finally, a curse struck home, but this time it was Susan's. After a particularly slow dodge, she cried, "Levicorpus!" and struck Malfoy in his face, the blond Slythering flying up into the air, upside down as if an invisible hand had grabbed him by his angle.

The blond boy cried out in surprise, but did not lose his grip on his wand and shouted, "Engorgio!"

Susan tried leaping out of the way, but the curse hit her right foot and it quickly swelled to four times its normal size.

"Liberacorpus! Stupefy!" Susan cried back to back as Malfoy dropped to the ground and took the brunt of her Stupefy curse in his chest, throwing him across the circle to fall the merest on inches from the border with a sick crunch of something breaking.

"Reducio," Susan cast on her foot managing to decrease it back to only twice its normal size before Malfoy regained his feet, cradling his left arm, his wand lying on the ground in front of him.

Susan held her wand before her, and the two stared each other down. It was a mistake. Ron and Blaise tensed at the same moment, Susan needed to blast him out of the ring before he got his wand back, "Diffindo!" Malfoy shouted, without the wand and Susan tried to dodge away from it, but her foot tripped her up and a large gash opened on her shoulder. Hitting the ground hard in response, Susan rolled with it and came up as Malfoy cast another, "Accio!" and regained his wand, though not before Susan cried "Incendio!" and managed to catch the cuff of his pant legs on fire.

"Stupefy!" Draco shouted, striking Susan and throwing her back several feet as he stamped and swatted at his pant leg.

Susan finally struggled back to her feet, blood running freely down her arm and her foot still swollen as she cast another curse towards Malfoy, "Fernunculous!" she cried and the curse struck home, and Malfoy skins broke out with boils.

"Lumos!" Ginny called from the front row and the others followed and as the light began to fill the circle, Ron could see the boils broken out over Malfoy's skin, his broken arm, and the scorch mark on his pants. His face was white with fury, as he took deep, gasping breaths. Susan stood across from him, looking rather haggard herself with the blood running down her left arm, her face pale, but determined and her clothes covered in grass with her right foot still swollen.

Ron chanced a glance over at Blaise as he started pushing his way to the front. Malfoy wasn't the only one beyond furious at this point. Ron followed him, hoping to catch up to him before he did something horribly stupid, like something he would do, which would be to beat Malfoy to a bloody pulp and then drag Susan kicking and screaming out of there.

"Well, Bonesy, it seems about time to end all of this fun and playtime, don't you think?" Malfoy sneered.

Blaise brushed past Ginny who saw the look on his face, "Blaise, don't!"

The sudden sound in the crowd drew everyone's attention and Susan raised her wand, "Ancile!" A large, golden shield created a dome over the circle as Blaise reached the front of the crowd. Even Goyle and Harry were left outside of it.

Blaise reached out with a fist and struck the dome as it echoed with a dull ring to it. Susan looked at him with an apology on her face and Ron knew how much of her strength she had just used to cast such a thing.

"We can leave it, but they can't come in," Susan told Malfoy.

Draco cackled with mirth as he looked to Blaise again, "What, you're little boyfriend becoming too much of a distraction?"

"He isn't anything to me," Susan answered. "Stupefy!"

Draco dodged the curse easily, but the smug smile stayed in its place, "Well, I'm sure it isn't me he is here to see."

Susan remained silent, limping on her foot, she waited out Malfoy and Ron saw that she was conserving her strength.

"You know, Bonesy, that is such a lie. If it wasn't for him and your foolish misconception that Lord Zabini would ever care for any other miserable wizard or witch even a third as much as he cares for himself, you wouldn't even be here."

Susan looked at Malfoy, "No, Draco, he was just the last straw, but he wasn't the first or one of the millions of others that ended up with you and I standing here. Now, are you here to fight or to talk?" "Expelliarmus!"

"Stupefy!" Draco cried at the same time, the two spells ricocheting off of one another, "I hit a nerve there, Bonesy? What did Blaisey hurt your feelings? Did he put on a good show of being a decent sort?"

Susan said nothing, but Malfoy started walking towards her, "Did he tell you that he trusted you? Of course he trusted you, you're a Hufflepuff and haven't been dishonest a day in your life. Did he tell you you were beautiful? I bet he never said the words. We already know he never told his parents, but here's the truth of it, I bet he wasn't ever going to."

Susan still stood where she was, waiting him out and now Malfoy stood about five feet away from her. Every instinct in Ron screamed at her to blast him out of the ring. Blaise looked like a man about to commit a murder, "Get him, Susan!" Blaise muttered under his breath, but neither of them paid him any mind.

"You're so innocent, Susan, so terribly naïve. That's why he's here you know, to make sure he can't be blamed for this. He doesn't really care if either of us win. The more we fight, the more we give him exactly what he wants," Malfoy tried again and took another step closer to her. Now standing less than an arms length away from her.

Susan looked Malfoy in the face and Ron thought for an instant that she was going to agree with him. Blaise thought it to, but Ginny moved up beside him, taking a hold of his arm and warning him with a shake of her head not to say a word.

Susan lowered her head and her wand, switching it over to her left hand with the wounded shoulder. Everyone thought she was going to drop it then, and listen to the slimy bastard, but Ron saw her ball up her fist and as she raised her head once more, that fist came with her. She slammed it into his jaw with a strength that Ron was admittedly quite proud of. The extra training she had been doing helped give her enough momentum to knock the smarmy bastard on his arse, "Shut up and fight you coward. Expelliarmus!"

She knocked Draco's wand out of his hand, but the Slytherin wasn't to be outdone, driving his foot into her kneecap, Ron heard another sickening crunch and this time Susan landed hard on the ground.

Her wand went bouncing across the grass and the two figures both reached for it at the same time. The group drew a collective grasp as a tussle ensued and finally Malfoy came up the victor. Susan and Malfoy clambered to their feet, "Accio wand!" Susan cried, calling for Malfoy's loose wand as the Malfoy in his turn blasted her with a powerful Blasting Curse that Ron had never heard before. Susan raised a shield at the same time, and the two spells collided with a large blast of light.

Averting their gaze until the light and the roar died down, Ron turned, but Blaise was already moving. Susan's shield, the spell, and the circle were all gone. Only Susan and Malfoy lay on the field and they were both unconscious.

Blaise reached Susan first, turning her over and the scorch marks from the blast were all over her body and her clothes. "Merlin, Susan," Blaise hissed. "I swear I will make this up to you."

"Well, that is enough for one evening," Professor Dumbledore's voice came from behind them. "Professor Sprout, Professor Snape, I trust you will see to your students? It seems that their Defense practice has gone on too long unsupervised. The rest of you should return to your towers. There is nothing more to see here tonight."

The students started heading back into the school, but Blaise lifted Susan himself, "I will take her back to the Hospital Wing, Professor."

Professor Dumbledore looked at Blaise, and Ron swore he saw the ghost of a twinkle in his eyes, "Very well then, but she is fine, Lord Zabini."

With a quick flick of his wand, Malfoy's unconscious body raised in the air and Dumbledore allowed the proud boy to carry Susan back to the Infirmary.

"How much do you want to bet that he will be there when she wakes up?" Ginny asked to no one in particular.

"He will be," Luna answered. "He will be for awhile. There are too many couples that are getting hung up on silly problems when in the end, they both know that they love one another. They just need to remember that to make it work," Luna continued looking pointedly at Ron before dragging Neville away.

Ron looked over at Hermione then, where she walked on the far side of Harry, but she seemed to either ignore or not have heard what Luna had said.

"What are you so upset about?" Ginny asked suddenly looking at Harry.

"It's stupid really, I just wanted one good shot at Malfoy and Susan got them all," Harry answered and suddenly he began to laugh. Ron quickly followed and even Ginny and Hermione joined in. "At least tomorrow, we've got Quidditch."

'

It was a perfect spring day for Quidditch when both teams had stepped on to the pitch. The Gryffindors had sat together at the breakfast table and had not allowed any non-members anywhere near them. Once they had quickly eaten they quietly went over the days strategy and then walked slowly out to the pitch. There didn't seem to be a need for a great deal of talking or any rough housing before this game. The team seemed to be intensely focused and ready to begin.

The roar of the crowd was deafening as they flew out of the Gryffindor changing rooms to see the Ravenclaw team already waiting for them on the pitch. As Ron took a few warm up laps around the pitch he caught sight of Draco's haggard face and noticed that Susan and Blaise sat with Neville and Luna with the Gryffindor team. They looked tired and haggard, but Blaise had his arm possessively around Susan's shoulders and they were both smiling like fools. At least one relationship had gotten straightened out last night.

To Ron's and many others surprise the first goal of the game was scored by one of the Ravenclaw chasers who totally faked Ron out and toss a cross body shot into the opposite goal. This of course occasioned a rousing Slytherin rendition of "Weasley is our king!" from both the Slytherin and Ravenclaw crowds. The Slytherins it seems hadn't forgotten that the Gryffindors had beaten them in order to play in the final.

This turned out to be a mistake as both Katie and Ginny scored to quick goals a piece and Gryffindor took a early 40-10 lead. Ron looked around to see Harry floating high about the pitch whipping his head back and forth looking for any sign of the snitch. Since the Gryffindor chasers were the superior to the Ravenclaws, the game was being played for the most part on the end of the pitch near the Ravenclaw hoops.

A minute or two later one of the Ravenclaw chasers intercepted one of Katie's passes and broke away toward the Gryffindor end. A loud cheer arose from the blue and black clad stands and the red and gold answered with encouraging cheers as Ron shifted a bit to the right and then steadied himself.

This time she feinted the cross body shot and then dove hard and fired to his left. Ron had seen it coming though and had moved left even as she fainted. Ron threw a long outlet pass to Ginny who was streaking back down the pitch towards the Ravenclaw goals. The Ravenclaw chaser hung in the air in front of Ron and then inclined her head in a gesture of respect, "Well done, Weasley. I thought I had you that time."

Ron nodded as she too turned and streaked down the pitch. _Why don't I know her name? We have gone to the same school for six years how can I not know her name?_

Ron was jerked from his thoughts by a loud roar and he saw Harry go into a step dive followed by Cho Chang. Ron laughed as Harry seemed to nonchalantly reach out and snare the Golden Snitch and then he flew to where the Gryffindor team was starting to celebrate when Ginny broke away from the floating pile and flew towards him.

When Ginny reached him she hugged him hard and then frowned a bit. "I know you are going away for a bit after term. Don't ask me how I know, because I can't tell you. Before you go I want you to talk to Hermione," Ginny held her hand up before he could interrupt. "I know you are mad at her and you have every right to be. But I also know you don't hate her and she is moping around the school thinking you do. We both know what she did was wrong, but she did it for a very good reason. Well, it seemed like it was a good reason to her."

"She should have trusted me," Ron spat.

Ginny spat right back at him, "You do know you have scared us all have to death this year right? I may not agree with what she did but I might very well have done the same thing if Harry had been taking such chances."

Ginny sighed at Ron's silence, "Look, just talk to her. I know this is going to sound crazy, but Luna says a lot of very bad stuff is going to happen if you don't. Before you say anything you would do well to remember that even though Luna is a bit odd she _knows_ things somehow."

Ron shrugged "Okay Ginny, I'll talk to her but right now I need to talk to Neville."

Ginny looked at him oddly and then nodded, "Well go on then. I'll see you back at the Common Room."

Ron glanced around the crowded Quidditch pitch and finally spotted Neville walking back towards the castle with Luna. He guided his boom towards them with a lack of any real haste and caught them once they had gotten about half way back. Ron came to rest about a dozen feet in front of them and called out. "Oy Neville, can I have a word?"

Neville nodded and then looked at Luna to see if she would mind. Luna nodded at Neville and then continued one towards the castle. As she walked by Ron she looked up at him and said softly, "You bring him back to me safe and I'll make sure Hermione doesn't go mad."

Ron shook his head to clear out the confusion and then looked back at Neville. "After the term is over I need to go do something and Professor Dumbledore suggested I take someone with me that I could trust. Well I reckon there aren't many people that I trust more than you, Neville, so what do you say, fancy a bit of adventure this summer?"

Neville smiled but looked at him curiously, "Why not Harry?"

"Harry can't go. Look Neville, I'll be honest. I wish Harry could go. I mean, he is my best mate. But since he can't go, I was hoping you might be willing to go. I won't try and trick you, it could be very dangerous."

"Is it important?" Neville questioned.

Ron nodded, "I think so. I think it is going to be very important."

"Then count me in. Just let me know what I need to plan for."

"Cheers Neville, I'll tell you a bit more in a few days."

Neville nodded at Ron, "Well, I best get back to Luna, she worries about me for some strange reason."

Ron watched Neville run off and decided that now would be as good a time as any to deal with the whole Hermione thing. Tossing his broom over his shoulder, he headed to the one place he knew he could always find Hermione--the library.

Sure enough, she was sitting at the same table she had used since they were firsties. The sight of her hunched over some textbooks drained any remaining anger out of Ron and replaced it with a deep sense of regret. Regret for things both of them had done and a few things he should have done. Hermione never looked up as he approached and he chuckled at her single mindedness. Her head jerked up at his laugh and she paled when she saw him standing there.

"So the match is already over?" Hermione asked softly.

"Yep, really Harry made it look too easy. I imagine Cho Chang isn't very happy right now,"

"Was Cho ever happy?" Hermione replied.

Ron laughed "Doesn't seem like it. Listen Hermione we need to talk."

Hermione paled again and nodded, "Okay Ron"

Ron started pacing back and forth in front of the table, "I was really mad when I found out what happened. I didn't understand why you did something like that."

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but Ron held up a hand, "Well I am sure I have done some things that you didn't understand and, barring present circumstances, you have been pretty understanding about the whole thing. Anyway, Dumbledore said you and I can't be around each other much until you guys get this spell thing figured out."

"I am so sorry Ron," Hermione blurted out, "I didn't mean for this to happen at all."

"I know, Hermione, maybe it was supposed to happen because I have to go do something this summer and I don't think you could have come anyway. I am going to leave the morning the rest of you will be taking the train back to King's Cross Station."

"You aren't going back with us on the train?"

Ron shook his head, "I will see you and Harry off though. I can't make any promises, but if you can get this spell worked out I will do my best to come see you."

Hermione nodded, "I will break the spell Ron, I promise."

Ron laughed, "Of course you will, Hermione. Well, since we won't see each other for a bit would you like to take a walk and talk?"

Hermione smiled and reached out to take his hand.

Hermione ran of the doors to the Castle and ran smack into Harry knocking them both to the ground. She stood and helped Harry to his feet. "Harry have you seen Ron?"

Harry shook his head, "No, I was going to ask you the same thing," he answered.

Hermione looked around frantically, "Harry, if he doesn't hurry I won't get a chance to say goodbye."

"He won't let you leave without saying…" the rest of Harry words were drowned out by a dull roar that was coming from around one of the corners of the castle. It was obvious after a moment that the noise was only getting louder and several students drew their wands uncertainly.

One or two minutes later several students yelled as Ron and Neville came flying around the corner on top of what Harry was certain was Sirius's old motorcycle. They came to a wobbly stop just a few feet away from Harry and Hermione.

"You didn't think we would leave without saying goodbye, did you?" Ron yelled over the noise of the motor.

Hermione shook her head, "I had forgotten about that."

Ron climbed down off of the motorcycle and Neville followed him, "Meet you back here?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, just hurry mate."

Neville walked off as Ron reached out a hand to Harry, "Have a good summer, mate. I'll be in touch, but make sure the Dursley's don't get too annoying."

"Be safe, Ron," Harry answered taking Ron's hand. "It looks like I'll only be there a couple weeks and then I am spending the rest of the summer with Hermione and Daphne."

"That's terrific Harry," Ron answered admittedly reassured that Harry would be around Hermione for the summer.

"Anyway, I'm going to go find Ginny," Harry replied and walked away rather nervously.

Ron looked at Hermione and took her hand, "I will miss you this summer."

"I'll miss you too," she smiled, but Ron saw her eyes water. "You'll be safe, won't you? You won't let something happen to you or Neville?"

"Not a chance," Ron replied. "I'll stay in touch via owl, but I will be traveling around a bit. I should be back with all sorts of interesting stories for you."

Hermione just nodded, "I'm sure you will."

Neville walked back into the room with Luna and Susan in tow, "You keep him safe, Ronald." Luna warned him walking up and giving Ron a hug where he stood.

"Will do."

Susan just smiled at him, "Both of you keep up your running. I expect you in good shape next fall."

"I will, but Susan if Blaise does anything…" Neville began.

"I will take care of him myself," Susan answered. "Just be safe and have fun. I may even run into you at some point. I will be working as the Ministry liason to the centaurs this summer with Bane. I will spend most of my summer traveling as well."

"That's great, Susan," Ron answered with some enthusiasm. "That sounds like the perfect job for you."

Susan nodded, "Anyway, have a great summer you two. I've got to go meet Blaise."

Hugging each boy in her turn, Susan left the four of them in the hall. Luna leaned up and kissed Neville rather passionately leaving the shy Gryffindor red in the face when she was done, "Get going so you can come home faster, alright?"

Neville nodded and looked expectantly at Ron.

Ron and Hermione looked at one another suddenly unsure of what to say. Ron leaned over and kissed her cheek, "I will see you soon. I promise."

Hermione nodded and whispered, "I love you, Ron."

Ron smiled at her and climbed back onto the motorcycle, while Neville got on behind him and pulled out of the school. It had been on interesting year to say the least.

In retrospect, the only good thing that came after Ron was returned to the school was a sudden end to the hostile activities that fooled no one, but it did allow for the school term to end peacefully enough.

Ginny and Luna took their OWLS. Ginny accepted a summer position working at the Ministry and Luna was to return and work at the Quibbler with her father. Hermione and Daphne were doing research together on the Cauldron, potions, and general other items that all blended together for Ron. Harry was returning to Privet Drive for a few weeks as his last required trip there before he was to join Hermione.

Looking across the compartment, Hermione realized it was full of very sad people. Harry and Ginny sat close together, both having fallen asleep together and leaning against the car wall. Hermione kept a book firmly planted on her lap, but she couldn't concentrate on it. Luna sat next to her, reading the Quibbler, and looked up to smile at her reassuringly. "They will be fine."

The train whistle blew as it slowed to a halt at the station. Students began clamoring down from the various platforms while the six of them slowly gathered their things and walked off the train.

Ron's Mum and Dad were waiting on them, standing with Hermione's parents and even Luna's father.

"How was the rest of your year, Hermione?" Molly Weasley asked after giving her one of her famous hugs.

"Interesting," Hermione answered simply while Mrs. Weasley turned her attention to Harry and Ginny.

Looking around the platform, Hermione saw Seamus and Daphne speaking to their own parents, the two of them noticing his glance and waving in her direction. Hermione felt sorry for Daphne, she seemed to genuinely like Seamus and they were going to be spending their summer apart as well.

"Well, I never would have guessed I end up spending this summer with a Slytherin," Hermione remarked to Harry as he walked over stand next to her.

"Well, it seems we are all in for some surprises this summer," Harry added and then noticed Amelia Bones surrounded by several Aurors down the platform.

"Hermione," Ginny whispered joining them and all three of them were looking over to where two of the most reclusive wizards in England stood speaking amicably with Susan's Aunt.

Suddenly curious, Hermione saw Susan and Blaise get off the train and head towards the group that was surrounded by aurors and private guards.

Hermione looked questioningly over at Ginny who nodded, "Absolutely," she smiled, "Mum, Dad, we are going to go say good-bye to some friends of ours!" Ginny called before pulling Harry and Hermione back off into the crowd with her.

As they approached the group, Hermione saw Blaise take Susan's hand and the two passed through the guards, "Aunt, I thought Mum and Dad were picking me up?"

"They will visit in London on the weekend, but you are staying with me this summer," Amelia smiled at her niece and Hermione was suddenly amazed at the resemblance between the two.

"Aunt, this is Blaise Zabini," Susan replied introducing the proper Slytherin to her Aunt.

"I'm pleased to meet you," Blaise answered respectfully.

"I'm pleased to meet you as well," Amelia answered before turning to his parents. "I have heard good things in regards to some of your talents. We always have needs for a good Auror, Blaise."

"Thank you, Minister," he replied. "Mother, Father, this is my girlfriend, Susan Bones."

Lord and Lady Zabini were both dressed fully in black, their dark hair slightly silvered, but easily they were as striking as Blaise was himself. They looked at Susan with the same aloof expression that Hermione had seen Blaise use a number of times, but after a moment, Lady Zabini extended her hand, "Miss Bones."

"Lady Zabini," Susan answered taking the hand as it was offered to her. "I have heard much about you."

"As we have about you," the woman returned coldly.

Lord Zabini stepped forward and looked to Blaise, "We have invited the Minister and Miss Bones to join us for dinner tomorrow evening so we can all get to know one another a little better."

Blaise nodded, "Thank you, father. Minister, Susan, will you be able to attend?"

"Well, we knew that was coming," Daphne's voice interrupted their eavesdropping. "I knew he wasn't stupid enough to screw it up twice."

"I don't know what Susan would see in that cold fish," Seamus answered. "Other than all his money."

"Charm, good looks," Blaise's slow drawl answered Seamus, "And the ability to know when to keep my mouth shut."

"Blaise," Susan admonished. "We just wanted to say goodbye to everyone."

Everyone spread hugs and handshakes around and then began to break off to return to their parents. As Ginny and Harry led Hermione back, she found herself looking over towards the platform once more already missing Ron.

"He'll be back, dearest," her mother smiled, hugging her shoulders. "Just you wait. He'll be back."

Hermione looked from her mother to her father and suddenly felt comforted, "You know, you're right. He will be back."

Well it has been a interesting journey to get to the end here. I want to thank everyone who reviewed this story. I didn't answer them all but you should know they meant a great deal to me.

Many thanks to JKR who came up with such a wonderful world that we all want to add our own little bit to it.

Last but certainly not least I want to thank belana30 for being my beta, co-writer and all around best girl. Sometimes things take you by surprise, such as how important someone can become who you met through a simple email. With out her help I would have never finished this fic and I would have a lot less joy and fun in my life.

After a bit of a break I will continue with the squel to this fic. Look for A Midsummer's Night Dream in a couple of months.


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